Mail from your health insurance (Krankenkasse) — extra payment or change? What to do now

A letter from your health insurance (Krankenkasse) usually involves money – either you're asked to pay more, or something about your insurance status is changing. Here's a calm overview of what kinds of mail can arrive and how to respond.

What kinds of mail typically arrive?

Contribution demand (Beitragsnachforderung) – the insurer demands an additional payment, often because your income changed or was reported incorrectly.
Change in contribution rate – the fund's additional contribution (Zusatzbeitrag) was adjusted, affecting all members equally.
Request for income proof – especially for self-employed or voluntarily insured people, to calculate the contribution correctly.
Membership notice – confirmation or rejection of membership, e.g. when switching insurers.

What to check first

What kind of letter is this exactly?
Does the stated amount match your actual income?
Was everything you previously reported correctly transferred?
What's the stated deadline?

The deadline that matters: the objection

If you disagree with a notice from your Krankenkasse, you can object within one month of delivery. This is stated in the appeal instructions at the end of the notice. A short sentence is enough to start meeting the deadline — a detailed reasoning can follow later.

How should you respond?

1. The demand is correct – pay, ideally referencing your member number, or actively ask for a payment plan if the money is tight right now.

2. The calculation seems wrong to you – file an objection and ask for a breakdown of the calculation.

3. You're asked to submit income proof – gather the requested documents and submit them on time.

4. You have questions about your insurance status – ask briefly before responding to what might be an incorrect notice.

Quick example of how an objection can be structured

reference to the notice (date, member number)
a clear sentence: "I hereby object to the notice dated ..."
a short reasoning, if you already have one
a request for written confirmation of receipt

This is exactly where BriefMagic helps: describe your situation in your own language – it turns into a clearly structured letter in German, with the right tone for the Krankenkasse. You don't need to know the exact contribution rules or hunt for the right phrasing yourself. There's a translation back into your language too, and the letter stays saved in case a reply comes.

Quick summary

First figure out what kind of letter it is.
One month to object, from delivery.
For extra demands: actively ask for a payment plan rather than staying silent.
A short, timely reply is enough — details can follow.

This article doesn't replace legal advice. For complicated cases, a social counseling service or a lawyer specializing in social law can help.