Krankenkasse: Health Insurance for the Self-Employed
Going self-employed ends employer-based coverage. Notify your insurer and choose a plan: voluntary GKV, PKV, or the artists' fund KSK.
✓ Verified: 15/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
What is it and when to act?
When you go self-employed, your employer-based insurance ends. The question must be resolved immediately — before any gap in coverage arises. Notify your insurer at the same time you register with the Finanzamt.
Three main options
Voluntary GKV — stay with the same insurer and pay yourself (minimum around €278/month, 2026).
PKV (private health insurance) — cheaper when young, more expensive with illness and age. Returning to the GKV is difficult.
KSK — for artists, designers, journalists, musicians. The government pays 50% of your contributions. The application process takes several months.
I stayed with the GKV voluntarily, on the minimum contribution — currently about €278/month. Tough at the start but no nasty surprises. I didn't go to the PKV: I know people who are stuck there and can't get back into the GKV.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
As a designer I applied to the KSK — the process took 4 months and I had to prove the creative nature of my work (portfolio, contracts). In the end I pay half what I would pay in voluntary GKV. The effort is worth it.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What happens to my insurance when I go self-employed?▾
Automatic employer-based coverage ends. Within 3 months you must either continue in the GKV voluntarily, switch to the PKV, or — for creative professionals — apply to the KSK. Going without insurance is not possible: mandatory health insurance (Krankenversicherungspflicht) applies to everyone in Germany.
How much does voluntary GKV cost for the self-employed?▾
The minimum contribution is calculated on the minimum assessment base (€1,318.33/month in 2026) and comes to roughly €278/month including Pflegeversicherung. Higher income raises it proportionally; the 2026 assessment ceiling is €5,812.50/month, giving a maximum of about €1,261/month (that figure includes the childless surcharge; with children it is roughly €1,226).
What is the KSK and who qualifies?▾
The Künstlersozialkasse is for artists, musicians, journalists, designers and authors. The KSK subsidises 50% of GKV, pension and disability insurance contributions — just like an employer would. Contributions are income-based. Admission requires proof of the creative nature of your work.