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Poll: How high are your monthly health insurance costs (private or statutory)
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Nov 15, 2018

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How high are your monthly health insurance costs (private or statutory)".

This poll was originally submitted by Michael Harris. View the poll results »



Geffley Menard
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 00:42
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
100 EUR Nov 15, 2018

Since I retired in 2006 I receive a pension from my employer (an EU Institution) and from that amount 100 EUR are deducted each month as health insurance costs. As a complement I was also covered by a private health insurance but I cancelled it because it was too expensive, excluded too much and their card was not accepted everywhere.

 
Vanda Nissen
Vanda Nissen  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 10:42
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
AUD 320 Nov 15, 2018

It is for the whole family, both hospital and extras. We have just switched the funds, the previous one was more expensive since it was for general public. In Australia, industry funds are generally cheaper and offer better options.

We have a public health system but waiting lists are very long (9 months for endoscopy procedures) and optical items and dentists are not covered.


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 01:42
Spanish to English
+ ...
Around 300 € Nov 15, 2018

As a self-employed person in Spain, I'm paying roughly €300 a month for public health insurance (Social Security). Now that I'm regularly getting enough work, it doesn't seem so bad, but when I was starting up, I found it difficult because some months I wasn't earning enough to pay rent, health insurance and other bills. There has been a campaign on the go for as long as I can remember to make self-employed Social Security payments income related, so that we would only have to pay a set percen... See more
As a self-employed person in Spain, I'm paying roughly €300 a month for public health insurance (Social Security). Now that I'm regularly getting enough work, it doesn't seem so bad, but when I was starting up, I found it difficult because some months I wasn't earning enough to pay rent, health insurance and other bills. There has been a campaign on the go for as long as I can remember to make self-employed Social Security payments income related, so that we would only have to pay a set percentage of our monthly wage. A lot of lip service is being done to the idea recently, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Having said that, I have no complaints about the treatment I've had in all my dealings with the health service here. I've had an operation for a double wrist fracture, and an 18-month chemotherapy treatment which would normally cost between €1000 and €1500 each month. This week I've had an annual checkup CAT scan and I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow.
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Tracy Byrne
Noni Gilbert Riley
 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 01:42
Member (2006)
German to English
WOW!! Nov 15, 2018

I am paying the highest statutory fee of €850 / month here in Germany. If I went private, that would increase to €1400!!!!!

I am amazed, I made this suggestion yesterday and it is already online.

I am just curious how the health service costs which are normally mandatory are throughtout the world.
But I am amazed that many of us do not have any health insurance at all!!


Ricki Farn
Erika Castro
Elisabeth Purkis
 
Vanda Nissen
Vanda Nissen  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 10:42
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
Is it compulsory? Nov 15, 2018

neilmac wrote:

As a self-employed person in Spain, I'm paying roughly €300 a month for public health insurance (Social Security).


I hope you are feeling better now! Just out of curiosity, is it a compulsory insurance? We have a compulsory Medicare levy which is 2% of our taxable incomes so any private insurance comes on top of it.


 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Apples and oranges Nov 15, 2018

Michael Harris wrote:
I am amazed that many of us do not have any health insurance at all!!


I think the problem is that different national systems make this a difficult question to answer.

I answered that I pay nothing, because health care in the UK is free.

But obviously I do pay for it indirectly. Trouble is, these payments are all tied up with pensions and so the health care element is hard to quantify.


Jennifer Forbes
neilmac
Michael Harris
 
Catherine De Crignis
Catherine De Crignis  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 01:42
Member (2012)
English to French
+ ...
I haven’t worked it out Nov 15, 2018

I obviously know how much I pay for my private health insurance, but as far as the statutory fee is concerned, I would need to work it out (but frankly, knowing that it costs "quite a lot" and I must budget it is enough for me to know).
The max. rate is 6,5% of one’s turnover, but below a certain level of revenue (inferior to mine), it goes as low as 1,5%. However, this is bundled up with a number of other compulsory charges.


 
DianeGM
DianeGM  Identity Verified
Local time: 02:42
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
+ ...
Around 300 Euros/month Nov 15, 2018

I assume the question was for me personally (not my entire family) so hope I haven't messed up the poll with this answer.
I am in Greece I pay around 100 E month for state insurance and extra 200 E for private insurance - just for me.
My children are included in my state health insurance. I pay approx. an extra 80 E a month for each of them for private health insurance.


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 01:42
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
I don't have monthly insurance costs as such Nov 15, 2018

I do pay to a fund which gives a certain amount of refund on medicine and dental treatments, very roughly DKK 3000 a year, or a few Euros a month. Depending on how much work the dentist does, I may get it back on paper, but I still have to pay his bills.

Otherwise, health care in Denmark is covered by taxes, which the Danes claim are the world's highest. They certainly feel like it at this end of the year, when after tax and deductions in my pension I get to keep 22% of anything I e
... See more
I do pay to a fund which gives a certain amount of refund on medicine and dental treatments, very roughly DKK 3000 a year, or a few Euros a month. Depending on how much work the dentist does, I may get it back on paper, but I still have to pay his bills.

Otherwise, health care in Denmark is covered by taxes, which the Danes claim are the world's highest. They certainly feel like it at this end of the year, when after tax and deductions in my pension I get to keep 22% of anything I earn. And on top of that, there is 25% VAT on everything I buy in the shops or anywhere else, food, bread, heating, services, the lot.

But there is no separate health charge. Health care is 'free' after that.
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John Fossey
John Fossey  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 20:42
Member (2008)
French to English
+ ...
Canada Nov 15, 2018

In Canada (Quebec), health insurance premiums are paid to the government once a year when income tax is filed. The maximum is about $600 per year. It doesn't cover dental or opticians, but it does cover prescription drugs. In general, I am very satisfied with the health care we get for what amounts to $50 a month.

[Edited at 2018-11-15 14:18 GMT]


 
Henry Schroeder
Henry Schroeder  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 20:42
Member (2002)
German to English
+ ...
300-500, but it is essentially emergency care not health care Nov 15, 2018

From 2001 - 2006 I (voluntarily) opted not to have health care in German: Cost $0 except for a couple of dental visits paid out of pocket
From 2006 - 2008 I also had no health insurance in Germany and Russia
From 2008 - 2011 I had private German health insurance in Germany: Cost of about 350 EUR/month
From 2013 - today: Obamacare, Bronze plan, started at $265/month; now about $400/month; the deductible here are very, very high. Certainly above 3 or 4,000. I consider it emergenc
... See more
From 2001 - 2006 I (voluntarily) opted not to have health care in German: Cost $0 except for a couple of dental visits paid out of pocket
From 2006 - 2008 I also had no health insurance in Germany and Russia
From 2008 - 2011 I had private German health insurance in Germany: Cost of about 350 EUR/month
From 2013 - today: Obamacare, Bronze plan, started at $265/month; now about $400/month; the deductible here are very, very high. Certainly above 3 or 4,000. I consider it emergency care and don't even have a primary care physician unless one is assigned. Fortunately, I haven't had to find out anything. Now that it is no longer required after the Trump tax reform, I may drop it again entirely.

I would look at the Techniker Krankenkasse in Germany. I know a colleague in Munich who (I believe) uses it for herself and her child. The premiums are certainly below yours.

Interesting questions.
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Egmont Schröder
Egmont Schröder  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 01:42
Member (2013)
Chinese to German
+ ...
Around 260 € per month Nov 15, 2018

I think this is an anverage fee here in Germany. 50 € when I am in Taiwan, which is around 2 months in a year.

Michael Harris wrote:

I am paying the highest statutory fee of €850 / month here in Germany. If I went private, that would increase to €1400!!!!!

I am amazed, I made this suggestion yesterday and it is already online.

I am just curious how the health service costs which are normally mandatory are throughtout the world.
But I am amazed that many of us do not have any health insurance at all!!


That is definitely the highest fee I ever heard of, you must make a fortune. Congratulations!


 
Agneta Pallinder
Agneta Pallinder  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:42
Member (2014)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Free at the point of use Nov 15, 2018

I live in the UK, where we still have health care through the National Health Service (NHS), which is free at the point of use.

I have paid towards it, of course, for many years as a tax payer, but my entitlement is not dependent on those payments.

The NHS system is also, incidentally, one of the least expensive ways of providing health care for all, if you compare expenditure on health care per person in various countries.


neilmac
Jennifer Forbes
 
The Misha
The Misha
Local time: 20:42
Russian to English
+ ...
I have no health insurance Nov 15, 2018

And haven't had any for the past 10 years or so. My wife and kids are covered by her policy at work, but to add me to that policy as yet another "family member of the enemy of the people" will cost about as much as she pays for the three of them. Thank you very much, I respectfully decline. But at least these days, thanks to the Orange Man, I do not have to scramble for an excuse on tax day not to have to pay a fine for not having any coverage.

How do I manage? Well, I try not to ge
... See more
And haven't had any for the past 10 years or so. My wife and kids are covered by her policy at work, but to add me to that policy as yet another "family member of the enemy of the people" will cost about as much as she pays for the three of them. Thank you very much, I respectfully decline. But at least these days, thanks to the Orange Man, I do not have to scramble for an excuse on tax day not to have to pay a fine for not having any coverage.

How do I manage? Well, I try not to get sick. Take it easy on the bacon, you know. Eat no junk food. Take no drugs, prescription or otherwise. Exercise. Push myself hard. If I get sick, I guess, I will have to go overseas for treatment and pay cash, or, if the stuff really hits the fan, simply blow my brains out with my trusty .45. It is what it is. Freedom does not come free. No one owes me anything. I'd rather have it this way than get to keep 22% of what I make, like the case seems to be with some of you folks in Europe.

No complaints, no regrets.
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Poll: How high are your monthly health insurance costs (private or statutory)






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