When can I switch my health insurer?

You can switch once you have been insured with your current insurer for at least 12 months. If your insurer raises its additional contribution, you can cancel without the 12-month commitment – up to the end of the month for which the higher contribution first applies.

How do I cancel my health insurance?

You don't have to cancel yourself at all. Your new health insurer automatically handles the cancellation with your previous insurer as soon as you have submitted your membership application.

Do I have to tell my employer that I'm switching health insurer?

Yes, briefly: you tell your employer which insurer you're switching to (§ 175 Abs. 3 SGB V). Your new insurer then sends the membership certificate electronically.

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Switching health insurer –
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When you can switch, which deadlines apply and why switching takes just a few minutes – all the key facts in a nutshell.

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Regular switch

When can I switch?

For a regular switch without a special reason, two rules apply: a minimum membership period and a notice period.

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12-month minimum membership

You must have been insured with your current insurer for at least 12 months before you can make a regular switch. The period runs from the date you joined the insurer.

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Notice period

Once the minimum membership period is over, you can cancel with effect from the end of the second following calendar month (§ 175 Abs. 4 Satz 3 SGB V). The day of the month doesn't matter: cancelling in January means switching on 1 April.

Example: regular switch

You have been with your insurer for more than 12 months and want to switch in March 2026. You submit your membership application to the new insurer. Your membership with the old insurer ends on 31 May 2026 – the switch takes effect on 1 June 2026 (end of the second following calendar month, § 175 Abs. 4 SGB V).

Special case

Special right of termination after a contribution increase

Has your insurer raised its additional contribution? Then you can cancel without waiting for the 12-month period to end.

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Keep an eye on it yourself

Since 30 July 2026 your insurer no longer has to inform you about an increase – the former duty to notify no longer applies. So check your additional contribution yourself.

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Deadline: end of the month

You can cancel up to the end of the month for which the increased contribution first applies (§ 175 Abs. 4 SGB V). After that, the right lapses for this increase.

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No minimum period

The 12-month commitment does not apply. The switch takes effect at the end of the second following calendar month – if you cancel in January, you'll be with your new insurer from 1 April.

Step by step

How switching works

You can submit your membership application online in just a few minutes. You'll then receive your new health insurance card by post.

Compare health insurers

Use our calculator to compare statutory health insurers by contribution and extra benefits. Just enter your income – done.

Choose your new insurer & join

You submit your membership application directly online – in a few minutes. No paper, no fax.

Your new insurer handles the cancellation

Your new health insurer cancels with your previous insurer for you – you don't have to take care of anything.

Briefly inform your employer

Briefly let your employer know about your new insurer; your new insurer then sends them the membership certificate electronically. You'll receive your new health insurance card by post.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about switching health insurer

Does my health insurer have to inform me about a contribution increase?

No, not any more. Since 30 July 2026 the former duty to notify no longer applies: your insurer no longer has to write to you separately when it raises its additional contribution. The special right of termination (Sonderkündigungsrecht) still exists – but you have to notice the increase yourself. The GKV-Spitzenverband (the national association of statutory health insurers) publishes the current additional contributions of all insurers in a daily updated list.

Can I switch if I haven't been a member for 12 months yet?

Not as a regular switch. The 12-month minimum membership period generally applies. The only exception is a contribution increase: then you have a special right of termination (Sonderkündigungsrecht) and can cancel without the minimum membership period. The switch takes effect at the end of the second following calendar month.

How long does switching health insurer take?

With a regular switch, your membership ends at the end of the second following calendar month. If you apply to switch in March, for example, your old membership ends on 31 May – and you're insured with your new insurer from 1 June. With a special right of termination, the switch can happen sooner.

Do I have to cancel my old health insurer myself?

No. Your new health insurer handles the cancellation with your previous insurer fully automatically. All you need to do is submit your membership application to the new insurer.

What happens to ongoing treatment when I switch?

Ongoing treatment is not a problem. Your old health insurance card remains valid until the last day. All statutory basic benefits are identical at every insurer – you don't lose any mandatory benefits.

Can I switch while I'm ill?

Yes. All statutory health insurers open nationwide are obliged to accept members – you cannot be rejected or put at a disadvantage because of pre-existing conditions or ongoing treatment. Company health insurers (Betriebskrankenkassen) may be restricted to certain groups of people.

Comparison calculator

Compare contributions & benefits

Enter your key details – you'll instantly see which insurer would be cheaper. No login, no email address needed.

Note: The comparison is free and non-binding. You'll find legal information in our legal notice, privacy policy and initial information.

Remuneration notice: We act as an insurance broker and may receive remuneration if a switch of health insurer comes about through our brokerage. This is paid by the receiving health insurer – there are no additional costs for you.

Ranking notice: The order of the health insurers shown may be influenced by the amount of remuneration. The comparison does not claim to include every health insurer available on the market.

* The savings of up to €600 per year are a guide figure based on a gross income of approx. €5,000 per month and the difference between the highest and the lowest additional contribution on the market. Your actual savings depend on your individual income and on the additional contribution of your current and your chosen health insurer.

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Transparency

Why is the comparison free?

The comparison and any advice are completely free of charge for you. We only receive remuneration if a switch of health insurer takes place – and it comes from the receiving health insurer, not from you. You incur no costs and no obligations whatsoever.

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cost to
you, always

No paperwork

Your new insurer cancels for you.

You don't have to cancel your old health insurance yourself. Your new insurer handles the entire cancellation. You just briefly tell your employer which insurer you're switching to – the new insurer then sends them the membership certificate (Mitgliedsbescheinigung) electronically.

A few minutes

Switch fully online – in minutes.

The entire switch happens online. No public office, no fax, no waiting room. Your membership application takes just a few minutes to submit online.

Obligation to accept

All open insurers are obliged to accept you.

All statutory health insurers open nationwide are obliged to accept members – with no health check and no waiting period. Company health insurers (Betriebskrankenkassen) may be restricted to certain groups of people.

Switching health insurer –it's that easy in 2026