A Ukrainian woman who runs a blog under the nickname lilia.in.berlin and lives in Berlin received a bill for 12,000 euros from the hospital after giving birth due to a document glitch. In the end, she did not have to pay it, but this story showed how important it is to check the status of health insurance and the child's data. She talked about it in TikTok.
Bill for childbirth in Germany arrived after a month
Blogger lilia.in.berlin said that a letter from the hospital arrived about a month after the birth of her son. The medical institution stated that they did not see an active insurance policy for the mother and demanded that she pay 12,000 euros on her own.
The woman contacted her health insurance fund AOK and received a document confirming her insurance. However, the hospital also asked for the newborn's plastic card and confirmation that the child was included in the family policy. The family was given only seven days to do this.
The woman's husband had already processed the child's documents online. Thanks to this, the family was able to provide the necessary confirmation and avoid payment. Thus, the 12,000 euros were not an actual debt, but an amount that the medical institution demanded due to the lack of data on insurance coverage.
Such letters may look like a final decision, but this is not always the case. The hospital first checks who should cover the costs: the insurance fund, the Jobcenter, or the patient himself. If the data has not been received or does not match, the bill may temporarily be sent to the family.
@lilia.in.berlin These are the interesting situations that happen 😅💰 #пологивнімеччині #українцівнімеччині #життявнімеччині ♬ original audio recording - 🇺🇦Lilia in Berlin🇩🇪
Why Jobcenter is important for health insurance in Germany
According to the Ukrainian woman, the problem arose after the Jobcenter extended the family's residence permit until 2027, but the insurance premiums were not paid on time. Because of this, the policy services, in her words, stopped working back in April.
In Germany, health insurance is mandatory. If a person receives basic assistance from the Jobcenter and is entitled to it, the employment center usually transfers monthly contributions to the public health insurance fund. This is confirmed by the German Federal Employment Agency.
Parents need not only to submit documents after the birth of a child, but also to make sure that the insurance fund has entered the child into the system. The German Ministry of Health notes that children can be insured for free through a family policy under certain conditions. Official explanations advise clarifying the status directly with your Krankenkasse.
After giving birth, it is worth keeping the confirmation of the application, correspondence with the insurance company, and documents about the child's registration. If the plastic card is still being produced, you can ask the insurance company for a temporary written confirmation. It will help explain the situation to the hospital before the card arrives.
If a bill comes from the medical institution, you should not ignore the deadlines or immediately pay it. First, you need to contact the insurance fund, request written confirmation of the status, and, if necessary, contact the Jobcenter that handles the family's case. If the response cannot be obtained in time, you should inform the hospital in writing and ask for an extension.