Optimal cover: finding the best cancer insurance for your financial security
03/05/25
5
Minutes
Katrin Straub
Managing Director at nextsure
A cancer diagnosis is a profound turning point. Alongside the health burden, financial worries often arise. Suitable cancer cover can provide crucial support here and enable you to focus fully on your recovery.
The topic in brief and concise terms
A cancer insurance policy offers financial security through a one-off payment on diagnosis, which is freely available and can help close gaps in statutory health insurance cover.
Make sure you have a broad range of benefits (over 300 types of cancer, sufficient cover, child cover) and check exclusions and waiting periods carefully.
Costs vary greatly; taking out cover early and providing truthful health information are crucial for affordable and valid protection.
Understanding the need for cancer insurance
Around 4.65 million people in Germany are living with a cancer diagnosis or have recovered from one. The number of new cases has risen over the past decades, even though survival chances have improved thanks to medical advances. Cancer insurance offers financial security when life goes off the rails. It pays out an agreed sum when the diagnosis is made, which can be used freely. This can help to offset loss of income, as sickness benefit often amounts to only around seventy per cent of gross earnings. Co-payments for medicines or alternative treatments, which can quickly reach several thousand euros, can also be covered in this way. A suitable cancer insurance closes this gap. Engaging with this topic is an important step in taking precautions.
Analysing the scope of cover of a good cancer insurance policy
When choosing the best cancer insurance, several factors are crucial. Make sure that as many types of cancer as possible are covered – ideally more than three hundred. The sum insured should be sufficiently high; many providers offer cover of up to one hundred thousand euros or more. Another important point is the automatic inclusion of children, often up to fifty per cent of the parents' sum insured. Also check the waiting period terms, which usually amount to six months. Some plans offer additional assistance services such as psychological support or a second medical opinion. These can provide valuable support in an emergency. A cancer insurance with a short waiting period can be advantageous. Carefully reviewing the insurance terms and conditions is essential.
Quick Facts: What matters when it comes to the best cancer insurance
For a quick overview, we have compiled the most important criteria:
Number of insured types of cancer: It should be at least three hundred.
Amount of the insured sum: Between ten thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand euros is common.
Children's cover: Automatic and free of charge is ideal, often at fifty per cent of the main sum.
Waiting periods: Six months is standard; some providers refund premiums if a diagnosis is made during the waiting period.
Health questions: Answering truthfully is mandatory; the scope varies greatly.
Exclusions: Certain early stages or types of skin cancer may be excluded.
Additional benefits: Psychological support or advice can be valuable.
Premium stability: Clarify whether premiums increase with age.
These points will help you compare offers more effectively and make an informed decision about your cancer insurance without health questions if this is a criterion. This way, you are optimally covered.
Practical section: costs and concrete calculation examples
The cost of cancer insurance varies greatly and depends on several factors. These include the age at entry, state of health (especially smoking status), the desired sum insured and the contract term. For example, a thirty-year-old non-smoker pays between twenty and thirty euros per month for a sum insured of fifty thousand euros with some providers. For smokers, premiums can be significantly higher, often by fifty to one hundred per cent. Our expert tip: take out cancer insurance as early as possible to benefit from lower premiums. The payout in the event of a claim is tax-free and can be used flexibly, for example for domestic help, which can quickly cost several hundred euros a month, or for alternative treatment methods, which often require four-figure sums. Financial assistance in the event of cancer is often essential. This flexibility is a major advantage.
Expert depth: Legal aspects and current notes
When taking out cancer insurance, answering the health questions truthfully is crucial. Incorrect or incomplete information can lead to refusal of benefits or termination of the contract, even after five or ten years. The Insurance Contract Act (VVG) governs this duty of disclosure. Cancer patients have the right to access their medical records and can help decide on their treatment. Statutory health insurance covers the costs of medically necessary treatments. Nevertheless, significant additional costs can arise, which cancer insurance can help cushion. Consumer advice centres point out that you should pay close attention to exclusions, as not every type or stage of cancer is always covered. Our expert tip: Check the policy conditions (AVB) in detail for exclusions and definitions of cancers. A dread disease insurance policy can be an alternative that also covers other serious illnesses. This offers broader protection.
Important provisions and recent rulings at a glance
For an understanding of your rights and obligations, some legal principles are relevant. The Patients' Rights Act significantly strengthens the position of patients vis-à-vis doctors and health insurers. For example, it enshrines the right to comprehensive disclosure and information. In the Insurance Contract Act (VVG), the provisions on the pre-contractual duty of disclosure (§ 19 to § 23 VVG) and on waiting periods are particularly important. Recent judgments on the interpretation of insurance clauses in cases of cancer are rarely specific to pure cancer insurance policies, but often concern similar risk insurance policies. In the past, the Wettbewerbszentrale has objected to misleading advertising for cancer insurance policies, where blanket claims were made of cover for all types of cancer, although the terms provided for exclusions. Our expert tip: Find out about your options for obtaining cancer insurance later, if you have already had a pre-existing condition, although this is often difficult. A precise understanding of the legal position is important.
To design the best cancer insurance for you, you should analyse your individual situation and needs carefully. Consider what financial gap could arise in an emergency. Take into account ongoing costs, possible loss of income and expenses for services not covered by health insurance, which can quickly amount to several tens of thousands of euros. Choose a sum insured that realistically covers this gap. Look for as comprehensive cover as possible across different types of cancer, ideally over three hundred. Check the terms for child cover; automatic inclusion of fifty per cent of the sum insured is a good benchmark. Answer the health questions carefully and honestly. Our expert tip: Compare not only the price, but above all the price-performance ratio and the clarity of the terms. A specific analysis of providers can help, but is not part of this article. A well-considered choice secures you the best possible support.
At nextsure, we are happy to help you find the cover that suits your situation. Our mission is to offer you tailored and easy-to-understand insurance solutions.
Request your individual risk analysis now: Have your insurance situation checked free of charge and receive concrete suggestions for improvement.
More useful links
Robert Koch-Institut (RKI) offers the current report „Cancer in Germany 2023“ with comprehensive data and analyses.
Federal Ministry of Health provides information on important aspects of cancer prevention and health risks.
German Cancer Society provides current data on cancer incidence and general information on cancer diseases.
Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) publishes press releases that include relevant statistics, including in the health sector.
Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) offers detailed tables on deaths from cancer in Germany.
Joint Federal Committee (G-BA) provides guidelines for medical care in Germany.
Joint Federal Committee (G-BA) provides information on the method assessment and recommendations for cancer screening in adults.
Cancer Information Service of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) offers well-founded information and up-to-date figures on cancer research.
FAQ
Why is cancer insurance important?
It provides financial support following a cancer diagnosis to help cover costs that are not covered by statutory health insurance, such as loss of earnings, alternative therapies or domestic help. Around five hundred thousand people in Germany are newly diagnosed with cancer each year.
What should I look out for when comparing cancer insurance policies?
Compare the number of covered cancers (ideally >300), the maximum insurance sum, conditions for child cover, waiting periods, health questions and exclusions.
What happens if I develop cancer during the waiting period?
Most insurers have a waiting period of six months. If you fall ill during this time, there is often no entitlement to benefits. However, some providers will reimburse the contributions paid up to that point.
Are children automatically covered?
In many policies, children are automatically covered up to a certain age (e.g. eighteen years) and often at a percentage of their parents’ sum insured (e.g. fifty per cent).
Can I take out cancer insurance if there are known cases of cancer in my family?
Yes, that is usually possible. Some insurers do not explicitly ask about family medical history, while others do. This can affect the premium, but does not necessarily lead to a rejection.
What is the difference to a dread disease insurance policy?
A dread-disease insurance policy covers a broader range of serious illnesses, including cancer, but also heart attack or stroke. A standalone cancer insurance policy focuses exclusively on cancer conditions.
