The gap between two sick notes is the most expensive formality in German healthcare: one day of interruption costs the status and often the coverage. Set a reminder 3 days before each note expires — Friday-to-Monday is the most dangerous combination.
Krankengeld: Insurer Sick Pay
From week 7 the insurer pays about 70 % of gross (capped at 90 % of net) for up to 78 weeks. The iron rule: renew the sick note no later than the next working day.
✓ Verified: 18/07/2026
WHAT TO DO
COSTS
- €Sickness benefit 70 % of regular earnings
capped at 90 % of net pay — § 47 (1) SGB V
› Details and tips
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
Iron rule: I get the follow-up note no later than the NEXT working day after the old one ends. One calendar day gap kills the entitlement — I set a reminder 3 days before each note expires.
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Lea recommends:
Friday-to-Monday is the most dangerous gap combination: the doctor is closed on weekends. Get the appointment early, not on the last day. Calculation: ~70 percent gross, max 90 percent net, up to 78 weeks.
Useful Tools
- Unabhängige Patientenberatung health
Independent patient advice: helps with insurer refusals and with rights in the health system. Free of charge.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I be fired while on sick leave? ▾
Sick leave itself does not block dismissal — but dismissal does not end Krankengeld: the insurer pays while you are unfit, even after the employment ends.
The insurer summons me to the medical service — bad? ▾
No, routine for long sick leaves. Answer questionnaires on time and attend: ignoring is a formal reason to stop payments. Nothing to fear if you are genuinely unfit.
What happens after 78 weeks (Aussteuerung)? ▾
Krankengeld ends. If still unfit to work, register with the employment agency (ALG I under the seamless-transition rule) or apply for a reduced-earning-capacity pension — the insurer informs you in advance.
How much money will I receive? ▾
Sickness benefit amounts to 70 per cent of your regular earnings and may not exceed 90 per cent of your net pay — § 47 (1) SGB V. Your contributions to pension, unemployment and long-term care insurance are still deducted from that amount, so what arrives is less than your usual salary.