Do I need the base plus the travel health insurance?

Question

I am currently based in Germany, and I will be moving to the Netherlands. In January I won't be employed, as my current position ends by the end of the year, and my new position starts in February.

So I booked a trip to Cuba during my January. As I won't be employed in January, I won't have a health insurance as well.

My question is: Do I need to pay for a german base health insurance, plus the travel health insurance?

Ideally I would like to avoid paying an extra month of my useless health insurance.

Answer 1

German health insurance will cover you even if you are unemployed, as long as you are still registered in Germany. If you have public health insurance, you will pay less or even nothing since you are unemployed.

German travel health insurance usually relies on you having regular health insurance. Travel health insurance will usually cover emergency care and a ticket back home, and little more. This is why travel insurance can cover you for a mere 10€/year.

Source: cost of public health insurance, personal experience

Answer 2

Normally you would report yourself as unemployed for that month.

When reporting, show them the new contract starting in February.

If you have paid in the minimal amount (1 year), you may recieve unemployment money where you would then be insured (May depend on the reason why you are not working in January).

Otherwise when you are outside the country, nobody cares.