About William
William Smyth is the Founder of The Munich Eye, which he launched in 2012 as the first weekly printed English-language newspaper in Germany. For more than a decade he has reported on the practical realities of life in Germany for its international community — from residency, work and taxation to navigating the country’s healthcare system.
That decade of front-line journalism with and for expats is what led William to co-found German Private Health Insurance (GPHI). He saw the same questions about private health insurance (PKV) come up again and again from readers, and built GPHI to answer them clearly in English and to connect people with genuinely independent, licensed brokers.
William also works with Who Needs Engineers, the expat engineering company in Germany. He writes on GPHI about eligibility, switching between public and private cover, the income threshold, and how the German system actually works in practice.
Articles by William
William has written 15 guides on German private health insurance for GPHI:
- Benefits of Private Health Insurance in Germany
- Compare Private vs Public Health Insurance in Germany
- Public vs Private Health Insurance in Germany Compared
- Private Health Insurance for International Students in Germany
- What Happens to Your PKV if You Lose Your Job?
- The Ultimate Guide to German Private Health Insurance (PKV) 2026
- Dental Coverage Under Private Health Insurance in Germany
- Private Health Insurance for Retirees in Germany
- Is Private Health Insurance Mandatory for Freelancers? Germany?
- Private Health Insurance Options for Students in Germany
- How PKV Premiums Change Over Time in Germany
- Private Health Insurance Salary Threshold in Germany
- How to Switch from Public to Private Insurance in Germany
- Waiting Periods in Private Health Insurance in Germany
- Who Qualifies for Private Health Insurance in Germany?
Editorial Standards
GPHI is a referrer (Tippgeber), not an insurer or broker. Our guides are written and edited by our team, cite official German sources, and show when they were last updated. For your individual insurance decision we connect you with an independent, licensed broker. Read more about us or see our Impressum.