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The main differences between public and private health insurance

Here’s how public and private health insurance compare — so you can make the right choice for your needs.

Christina avatar
Written by Christina
Updated this week

Private health

Public health

Speed of appointments

✔ Usually faster; doctors often reserve slots for private patients

❌ Often longer wait times

Comprehensive cover

✔ Broader coverage, including dental (most plans)

❌ Dental add-on recommended

Pregnancy cover

Yes

✔ Yes

Income protection

Optional add-on

✔ Included

Insurance card

❌ Digital only (no physical card)

✔ Physical card provided

Check out our plans to see the extensive comparison of the coverage of public and private health insurance.


Other important differences

How income protection works

  • Public health: income protection is always included.

  • Private health: with most private providers, it isn’t – but with our plans, you can flexibly add it when you sign up, tailoring your coverage to your cost of living. For both types, your employer pays your salary for the first 42 days of sick leave; after that, income protection (if included) takes over.

How payment works

  • Public health: Your monthly price is automatically deducted from your pay slip.

  • Private health: Your employer pays up to 50% of your private health contribution (up to about €570 per month). If your plan costs more, you pay the rest.

How to claim

  • Public health: you just show your health card when visiting a doctor. There’s no out-of-pocket payment or claim process, anything covered is billed directly to your public health provider.

  • Private health: simply upload a photo of your invoice to your Feather account. Most claims are processed within 1–3 weeks. If anything’s missing, our support team will reach out.

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