just found out i've a bill of 2363€ hanging over my head due to the stupid german health insurance system.

i now need a lawyer, yet i have t fork out money to find out the law.

surely, if the state enacts the law that law should be there for all to see.

i'm fecked off.

No they should be put in stocks and pelted with rotten veg!

if you dont have a job or scrounge benefits you get all the free legal cover you ever need. The state loves the scroungers.

You don't have legal insurance?

The first thing I was advised to do when I arrived in germany was to get legal and third party liabilaty insurance.

surely the first thing you were advised was not to mention the..ahem… ….er…thing?

if you dont have a job or scrounge benefits you get all the free legal cover you ever need. The state loves the scroungers.

😆

If only that wasn't the reality.

Are you a brit abroad (then an E111 should surfice), or are you livin there and paying into the 'scheme(s)'.

And if you know you are right, diy.

E111 doesn't cover me as i'm working here and i've been out of the UK too long.

i need to sort out health insurance for a new job.

i was paying into one system whilst working in '08. i finished that job at the end of '08 and since then haven't been paying into any 'kasse'.

i went into one health kasse today to be told they need my old kasse number. i phoned them up only to be told that i'm in arrears of 2363€. i never got any confirmation or a card (not b'day or christmas, but a credit card sized card similar to that in the states) from them letting me know i was ever insured with them.

according to the law you HAVE to be insured.

i wouldn't have minded paying for a service i knew i was recieving, but to be told 17 months later that i have to pay for a service that i never used is rather upsetting.

i'm doing well though; i haven't hit any doors or broken anything yet.

but to be told 17 months later that i have to pay for a service that i never used is rather upsetting.

So you accept that by law you have to have insurance but you're not willing to pay for it?

Sorry, I don't see what your complaint is.

I think bike guides should be free, personally.

sure, lawyers should be free. they can get their bills paid by the pixies, just like musicians whose music gets kleptoed online can.

paying for something in the knowledge that you are recieving a service is fine, but back dating payments for something you weren't recieving (if i were to have an accident the insurance wouldn't have picked up the costs as i hadn't paid in) hurts.

ok, the thing about lawyers was a bit daft. but i now need a lawyer in order to enable me to find out what to do.

hey, if you want to make it over i'll take you biking. FOC.

Seems odd that you can be billed and not receive any benefit.

Go see a lawyer, or google it.

alpin. Imagine if you had forgotten to pay your tax and NI here – you would still have to pay it backdated.

Pay up

i'm on the case now, C-al.

TJ, i understand that it would be back dated in the UK, but if i had done the same in the UK i would still be treated.

it's this stupid **** private health insurance system they have here in germany. if they were to do something similar to that in the UK the people here would save a shed load of money, paperwork, worries and bureaucracy.

Not being funny but folk wouldn't generally pay a lawyer for stuff like this – it's more like a consumer issue, I'd be suprised if google does not have the answer.

OK can I get that free tour now?

yup, if you pay for the flight, food, accomodation and transfer back from Lake Garda to Munich you're more than welcome to join me! that offer exists to all STWers…

n.b. accomodation may exist of a sleeping bag and tarp.

any profession requiring the time and money to train to practice it deserves to be well rewarded.

(yes, i'm in the middle of my law exams 🙂 )

alpin – as in Germany you would be treated then get the bill. and fined as well for not paying your NI

Try "verbraucherschutz" they are a kind of Germanys equivalent to the citizens advise bureau, they should be in most major towns and will probably be able to advise you.

any profession requiring the time and money to train to practice it deserves to be well rewarded.

(yes, i'm in the middle of my law exams )

It is also tedious and dominated by bores with enormous egos.

i'm fecked off.

Alpin – you tried a German mountain biking website for this advice?

Alpin – you tried a German mountain biking website for this advice?

I don"t see how talking gear ratios and the weight of bolts will help.

bugger. too late.

ourmaninthenorth – Member

It is also tedious and dominated by bores with enormous egos.

I concur (but like you exist in the interesting & balanced minority)

ourmaninthenorth – Member

any profession requiring the time and money to train to practice it deserves to be well rewarded.

(yes, i'm in the middle of my law exams )

It is also tedious and dominated by bores with enormous egos.

should be ideal then.

I concur (but like you exist in the interesting & balanced minority)

I do now I'm in-house. I'm going home at 5.30 today…. 😀

*dreams of in-house*

I'm not a lawyer, but as I understand it, Germany has a codified legal system whereas we rely on case law, so the German law should be easier to find out…