Health Insurance Law
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What GKV must pay for, sickness benefit, and your cover when travelling.
The GKV benefits catalogue: entitlements vs extrasGKV benefits are defined by law (SGB V) and are broadly identical across all Krankenkassen: doctor visits, hospital care, and prescribed medication. The grey zone is IGeL — extra services doctors sell privately.
What you live on when illness outlasts six weeksAfter the employer's six weeks of full continued pay end, the Krankenkasse steps in with Krankengeld — roughly 70% of gross pay, for up to 78 weeks per illness within three years.
What your German insurance covers when you travelThe back of your Gesundheitskarte is a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) covering medically necessary care in the EU. Outside Europe — and for repatriation anywhere — GKV pays nothing.