Last checked against the official source: 29 August 2026
Your health insurance fund in Germany is not a fate you are stuck with. Section 175 SGB V governs the right to choose a fund, and it contains three practical points: the fund may not refuse your membership, the binding period is twelve months, and the new fund handles the termination of the old one — you do not send a cancellation letter yourself.
The essentials
- Legal basis
- Section 175 of the Fifth Book of the Social Code (SGB V).
- How you choose
- By declaring membership directly to the fund you have chosen.
- Right of refusal
- There is none. The fund may not refuse membership, nor obstruct your declaration with wrong or incomplete advice.
- Age
- The right is exercised from the age of fifteen.
- Binding period
- At least twelve months with the chosen fund.
- When termination takes effect
- At the end of the second calendar month following the notification.
The common mistake: sending your own cancellation letter
Many people start by sending a notice of termination to their current fund and only then look for a new one — and end up in a coverage gap or a tangle of correspondence. The statute arranges it the other way round: the new fund’s notification replaces the member’s own declaration of termination, and the two funds exchange the information through an electronic reporting procedure.
In practice: register with the new fund first, and it handles the rest. Do not send a cancellation letter to your current fund unless you are expressly asked to.
How to switch, step by step
- Confirm twelve months have passedCount from the start of your membership in the current fund. Before that period is complete, ordinary termination does not take effect.
- Choose the new fund and declare membership thereThe declaration goes directly to the new fund, and it has no right to turn you down.
- Leave the termination to the new fundIts notification replaces a termination letter from you, and the exchange between the two funds happens electronically.
- Work out the effective dateTermination takes effect at the end of the second calendar month following the notification — the switch is not immediate. Plan on that basis.
The special case: an increased supplementary contribution. If your fund levies a supplementary contribution for the first time, or raises it above the average rate, the law gives you an exceptional right of termination on a shorter notice during that month — even if the twelve-month period is not complete. Watch your fund’s letters about contributions: they open a limited window.
Official source and related reading
Section 175 SGB V — full text · Who is compulsorily insured · Family insurance
Please note: this page is general guidance, not insurance or legal advice. Check the details of your own case with the fund before acting, particularly if you are between jobs.
Frequently asked questions
Can a health insurance fund refuse my membership?
No. Section 175 provides that the fund may not refuse membership, nor obstruct your declaration with wrong or incomplete advice. The right is exercised from the age of fifteen.
How long is the binding period before I can switch?
At least twelve months with the chosen fund, counted from the start of your membership there. Before that period is complete, ordinary termination does not take effect.
Should I send a cancellation letter to my current fund?
No, and this is the most common mistake. The new fund’s notification replaces your own declaration of termination, and the two funds exchange the information electronically. Register with the new fund and it handles the rest.
When does the change actually take effect?
At the end of the second calendar month following the notification. The switch is not immediate, so do not assume your cover moves the next day.
Can I switch before twelve months are up?
Yes, in one case: if your fund levies a supplementary contribution for the first time or raises it above the average rate, the law grants an exceptional right of termination on shorter notice during that month. Watch your fund’s letters about contributions — they open a limited window.
Will I have a gap in cover while switching?
Not if you follow the statutory order: register with the new fund first and let it notify the old one. Gaps typically happen when someone cancels first and looks for a new fund afterwards.