First steps: Health insurance and medical care
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In Saxony, you have access to modern medical facilities and comprehensive medical care. With statutory health insurance, you are optimally covered in the event of illness and can receive medical help quickly and easily.
Health insurance
Health insurance is compulsory in Germany: every person with a domicile or permanent residence must be insured.
- Children are usually co-insured with their parents free of charge via "family insurance".
- Most people take out statutory health insurance (GKV).
- Only certain groups (e.g. the self-employed, civil servants or employees with very high incomes) can take out private insurance.
You are free to choose your health insurance company. After submitting your application, you will receive a membership certificate, which is often sent directly to your employer electronically.
Important: Let your employer know which health insurance company you have chosen.
Contributions and benefits
- The insurance contribution is automatically deducted from your pay.
- Medical treatment, hospital stays and many medications are covered. However, you will have to make co-payments for some services.
- You will receive an electronic health card (chip card). Your doctor will use this to bill you for treatment and you can fill prescriptions at the pharmacy.
Medical care
Your medical care is well covered by your health insurance. You can go to the doctor if you need medical advice or feel ill. You can also seek medical help outside doctors' opening hours and in emergencies.
It is important that you find a family doctor as soon as you arrive in Germany. A family doctor is the doctor who is your first point of contact when you are ill. He or she offers comprehensive basic care and will give you a referral to a specialist if necessary.
For your children, you need a pediatrician, a specialist in pediatric and adolescent medicine.
To find doctors near your home, it is best to ask acquaintances or neighbors. You can also search for a doctor online.
If you want to see a doctor, you need to make an appointment. The best way to do this is by telephone or in person at the doctor's surgery. You can also make an appointment with some doctors by e-mail or online.
There are specialists for different areas. If you have symptoms, it is best to see your family doctor first. They will tell you which specialist you need to see. You can find a specialist practice online.
There are long waiting times for appointments with specialists in particular. You will often be given appointments that are not for several months.
This is why many doctors offer "acute consultation hours" at certain times of the day. You can use these if you are unable to make an appointment beforehand. This may be the case, for example, if you realize early on that you are ill and cannot go to work.
Please note the following for your visit to the doctor:
- Always take your health card with you when you go to the doctor!
- Be punctual and cancel an appointment if you cannot keep it.
- Ask questions if you don't understand something or take someone with you to translate. It is important that you understand what the doctor is explaining and what treatment steps are necessary.
You can use the "on-call service" if you fall ill outside the consultation hours of your doctor's practice. This can be in the afternoon or evening or on weekends, public holidays and bridge days. In some cities, there are "on-call practices" for certain specialist areas.
You can call 116 117 to find out which doctor on call you can go to. You can also search for on-call practices online.
If you are very seriously or life-threateningly ill, you must call the emergency number 112. An emergency doctor will then come to your home or to the location of the emergency.
There are two international practices in Saxony, in Chemnitz and Dresden. With an intercultural practice team and interpreting facilities, medical care there is particularly language- and culture-sensitive. The international practices have similar consultation hours to other doctors' surgeries.
You will receive general medical (family doctor), pediatric and gynecological care there.
You must see a dentist for dental, oral and jaw diseases and for preventive dental care.
Your health insurance will cover the costs of your visit to the dentist and any medically necessary treatment. You must also take your health card with you to the dentist.
In emergencies outside office hours, you can find the on-call dental service under emergency service search.
Regular preventive dental care is very important for your health. Health insurance companies normally cover the costs of two preventive dental check-ups per year. The "bonus booklet" serves as proof of preventive dental care. If you go for a check-up every year, your health insurance company will pay a higher subsidy for dentures.
Sick note
If you are ill and cannot work, you must inform your employer immediately. Ask your employer how (by phone or e-mail) and who you need to inform.
If your doctor determines that you cannot go to work, he will confirm this with a "certificate of incapacity for work". This document is colloquially known as a "sick bill".
Many employers require the sickness certificate immediately from the first day of illness. You must then go to the doctor immediately or call your family doctor. Ask your employer from which day they require the sick bill.
The doctor will automatically send the electronic certificate of incapacity for work to the health insurance fund. The employer can retrieve it there electronically. However, you must inform your employer yourself about your sick note and the expected duration of your absence.
You do not have to give your employer any information about the nature of the illness!
With our sick note checklist, you can keep track of all the important steps.
