Voluntary private health insurance provides many healthcare benefits. You receive additional benefits not covered by statutory health insurance. What questions do you need to consider?
What services are insured?
Classical services insured include: Hospital stays with a higher class of comfort, daily charges as well as treatments and surgery by doctors of your choice. There are also a large number of add-on packages, like medications, dental care, preventive check-ups, visual aids etc. Be clear about your specific needs! Ask whether there is a waiting period that needs to be seen out before insurance cover kicks in.
What are your obligations as an insured person?
You are required to answer all questions about your state of health truthfully and provide correct information when applying. If you fail to do so, the insurer may refuse to cover your costs, and you will not be covered.
Premium
Price that an insurance policyholder is required to pay to the insurer for insurance cover.
What is the premium based on?
Contributions are based on your age, your state of health and the level of cover that you want. Premiums can be reduced by taking out health insurance with an excess. This means that your have to pay part of the costs before your insurance coverage covers the costs. Think about the additional packages you require and actually use. If possible, changing to a group insurance policy might be favourable for you.
Policy
Contract document between the insurance undertaking and the insurance policyholder.
When may the premium amount be changed?
Increases in premiums are only permitted under certain legally stipulated reasons: for example where there are changes
- to an index stated in the contract
- to the average life expectancy
- in the healthcare system as a whole
- or to legal provisions
In the event of the premium being raised, you may request that the contract should continue with the same premium but with reduced benefits. Increasing the premium due to your advancing age, a deterioration in your state of health or the frequency of your making use of services included is not permissible under any circumstance.
Index
depicts the performance of certain selected of instruments, for example shares, bonds or even commodities.
Can the insurance company terminate my insurance?
Your insurance company is only allowed to terminate your insurance for good reasons. If you fail to pay your premium promptly, thereby falling into arrears, or if when concluding the insurance contract your provide false information about your state of health or conceal pre-existing conditions, such a good reason exists.
Tips:
Read the insurance conditions carefully! Pay particular attention to waiting periods, exclusion of benefits that apply to certain pre-existing conditions or special requirements that must be met for your to receive a benefit. We advise you to ensure that you are well-informed prior to taking out private health insurance, as well as also to compare different offers. It is particularly important to make a well thought out decision, as in the event of your changing to another insurance undertaking any benefits that you secured in terms of premiums for signing up when you were young and in good health are forfeited.
Further information:
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