Can Barmenia Raise Equine Surgery Insurance Premiums?

Yes, Barmenia can raise the premiums for its equine surgery insurance. Under the policy terms, the calculation is reviewed at least once a year. If costs rise — for example, through a new veterinary fee schedule (GOT) — the premium is adjusted accordingly. This increase may happen at most once per insurance year and must be announced one month in advance. Customers then have a one-month special right of cancellation.

Basics of Barmenia's Premium Adjustments

Legal Framework for Premium Adjustments

The legal basis for premium adjustments is clearly defined in the company's General Insurance Terms and Conditions. Under clause 11.1 of the terms (as of 01.01.2024), Barmenia Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG is expressly entitled — and at the same time obliged — to thoroughly review its calculated premiums at least once per calendar year. This regular review primarily ensures that the company can permanently meet its contractual obligations to all policyholders. Barmenia groups together equine surgery insurance contracts that, under strict actuarial principles, are expected to show a similar claims pattern. If the comprehensive review shows a higher financial need, premiums for that group are increased proportionally.

The calculation is based on past claims and cost trends as well as expected developments up to the next review. This is a standardized procedure across the insurance industry. Barmenia must ensure that promised benefits can still be delivered in the future — something that would be mathematically impossible without dynamic adjustments to real-world cost trends.

Actuarial Principles

The strict application of recognized actuarial and technical insurance principles ensures that premium increases are never arbitrary or made without a solid data basis. For these complex calculations, Barmenia draws on, among other things, statistical findings from the German Insurance Association (GDV) as well as, where relevant, independent findings from an appointed trustee. Such objective data points demonstrate the pressing need for an adjustment whenever aggregate spending on veterinary treatment exceeds the calculated income of the risk pool. An independent comparison clearly shows that some insurers raise premiums by a certain percentage on average each year [1]. In return, customers benefit from reliable cost coverage in an emergency, even for extremely expensive procedures. The transparency of these calculations is strictly required by law.

Reducing Premiums as a Theoretical Option

Alongside the far better-known increase, the contractual rules also mandate a premium reduction. If the annual review produces a mathematically lower premium than previously calculated, Barmenia is contractually obliged under clause 11.4 of the terms to lower the applicable premium for policyholders by the exact difference. In the harsh reality of modern veterinary medicine, however, treatment costs keep rising continuously due to medical progress and inflation, which is why actual premium reductions in this segment are extremely rare. Still, this specific clause ensures a symmetrical and fair risk assessment for both parties to the contract. For horse owners, this means legal protection against one-sided financial disadvantage from the insurer. The exact trajectory of premiums depends heavily on external factors like the fee schedule. nextsure reviews these mechanisms on a data-driven basis, keeping plans fair and market-appropriate in the long run.

Impact of the Veterinary Fee Schedule on Premiums

Direct Link to the Fee Schedule

The impact of the veterinary fee schedule on premiums is a central factor in every premium adjustment in pet health insurance. Under clause 11.2a of the terms, Barmenia is expressly contractually entitled to factor changes to the veterinary fee schedule (GOT) into its annual plan review. When the legislature raises the binding fee rates for veterinary services, insurers' spending on surgery, preliminary exams, and follow-up treatment rises immediately and sharply. Depending on the complexity of the procedure, surgical costs for equine operations can quickly reach several thousand euros [2]. Proportional adjustments to premiums across the risk pool refinance these cost increases. Failing to make these necessary adjustments would massively jeopardize the insurer's solvency. The recent GOT reform demonstrated this effect impressively across the industry.

Reimbursement Rates and Emergency Service Fees

Reimbursable costs are based exactly on the fee rate of the current GOT documented individually in the policy. For life-saving veterinary services provided as part of an emergency call-out, Barmenia reimburses billed fees up to four times the standard rate, plus the official emergency service fee. Such unforeseeable emergencies at night, on weekends, or on public holidays cause extreme costs that the entire community of policyholders must share. The benefits of equine surgery insurance cover exactly these expensive peak risks, which requires an extremely solid and forward-looking calculation. If emergency-service flat fees rise due to legal requirements, this eventually — though inevitably — feeds into the annual premium review. Horse owners need to understand this mechanism to assess premium trends objectively. Covering these emergencies is the actual core value of the policy, since this is where the financial burden on the individual is highest.

Preventing Financial Underfunding

Dangerous underfunding in the pool of policyholders inevitably arises if steady premium income can no longer cover the rapidly rising GOT bills from equine clinics. Barmenia consistently prevents this scenario through the contractually anchored annual review and the resulting premium adjustments. For the end customer, this generally means rising fixed monthly costs, but also the assurance that extremely expensive procedures — such as a life-saving colic surgery — will continue to be reliably paid for. The only alternative to premium increases would be harsh cuts to benefits in a claim. nextsure continuously analyzes these market dynamics for data-driven contract optimization. The long-term performance of the chosen plan is always the absolute focus of broker advice. A cheap plan that doesn't reimburse the clinic's fourfold rates in an emergency offers no real protection.

Frequency and Deadlines for Premium Increases

Annual Adjustment Cycles in Detail

The frequency of premium increases is strictly and consumer-friendly limited under Barmenia's contractual terms. The company may adjust the premium exactly once during a running insurance year, as clearly set out in clause 11.6 of the terms. Multiple increases within a single year are fully excluded by law under this clause. This clear rule gives horse owners a high degree of budget certainty for the year in question. While the review of the portfolio itself takes place per calendar year, the actual implementation of an increase is strictly tied to each individual customer's own insurance year. This system effectively prevents surprise cost explosions during a period that's already been paid for. Such an approach underscores the seriousness of the plan's calculation. Customers know for certain that their premium will remain stable for the next twelve months after an adjustment.

Notice Periods for Policyholders

The contractually defined notice periods effectively protect consumers from unexpected account debits. Barmenia must legally notify policyholders in text form of a planned premium adjustment at least one month before the new, higher premium first falls due. This official notice must set out the exact reasons for the increase and the new payment amounts in detail and in a comprehensible way. This period gives the policyholder enough time to calmly assess the contract's value for money. A well-informed comparison with current market offers is strongly advisable within this window, to avoid missing any deadlines. nextsure supports this assessment with real-time comparison tools, putting the decision on a solid data basis. Meeting this one-month deadline is a mandatory condition for the entire premium adjustment to be legally valid.

Comparison with New-Business Rates

A particularly important protection mechanism for loyal customers is the contractually guaranteed comparison with rates for new customers. If the mathematically determined premiums for existing contracts are higher than the premiums for newly signed contracts with exactly the same scope of cover, Barmenia may charge existing customers no more than the current new-customer rate, per clause 11.5 of the terms. This rule ensures existing customers are never worse off than customers who are just now signing a contract. This fair clause effectively prevents hidden cross-subsidizing of new business by long-standing, loyal policyholders. It's worth every owner's time to check the notice letter carefully against this contractual cap. Transparency is a decisive factor for trust here. Should there be an error in the calculation, the broker can intervene immediately and demand a correction.

Requirements for a Premium Adjustment

• Annual actuarial review of the portfolio.
• Taking current claims and cost trends into account.
• Factoring in changes to the veterinary fee schedule (GOT).
• Notice given in text form at least one month before it takes effect.
• Increase capped at the level of current new-customer rates.

These criteria ensure that increases remain transparent and comprehensible.

Cancellation Rights After Increases

The Special Right of Cancellation in Detail

Cancellation rights after increases give customers a legally secure way out of the contract. If Barmenia raises the monthly or annual premium under its contractual right to adjust, a special right of cancellation automatically arises under clause 11.7 of the terms. The policyholder can cancel the contract in text form within one month of receiving the official notice of the premium increase. The cancellation takes effect at the earliest at the exact point in time the announced increase would have taken effect. This strong consumer right allows for a seamless, well-planned switch to another provider without having to pay double premiums for overlapping periods. Strictly observing the one-month deadline is essential here. Anyone who lets this deadline pass is bound to the new, higher premium for another full insurance year.

Ordinary Cancellation and Waiver of Cancellation Rights

Alongside the specific special right of cancellation, there's also regular ordinary cancellation at the end of an individual insurance year. Barmenia offers an outstanding feature in its Premium-Schutz product line, though: if the insured horse was no older than seven at the start of cover, the insurer fully waives its ordinary right to cancel at the end of the term from the seventh insurance year onward [3]. The customer, however, retains their own unrestricted daily right to cancel after the initial contract term ends. This protection is valuable. This one-sided waiver by the company especially benefits older horses, which are often very hard to newly insure with other companies due to pre-existing conditions. Switching providers should therefore always be reviewed extremely critically and with solid data for older animals. Losing this valuable waiver of cancellation rights is an often-underestimated risk of hastily canceling an existing long-standing contract.

Cancellation After a Claim

Another legally established right of cancellation arises for both parties immediately after a claim has been settled. Both parties to the contract can end the contract after a benefit has been paid or a claim for benefits has been brought to court. Under its high-quality Premium-Schutz plan, however, Barmenia also waives this specific right from the seventh insurance year onward, provided the horse's age at the start of cover was under eight. Anyone who cancels hastily because of a premium increase must factor in possible exclusions in the contract with any potential new provider. Already documented pre-existing conditions are generally rigorously excluded from future cover when signing a new policy. A rushed switch therefore carries significant financial risk for the owner. Advice from a specialized broker helps identify these hidden dangers before signing a cancellation.

Plan Differences and Age-Based Provisions

Structure of Barmenia's Plans

Plan differences and age-based provisions significantly determine the long-term premium stability of a policy. Barmenia offers different plan tiers, such as Top and Premium, for equine surgery insurance to cover different security needs [2]. Premium-Schutz includes significant extended benefits, such as up to five physiotherapy sessions after the regular follow-up treatment period ends. These valuable extra benefits are naturally reflected in a higher base premium, but they offer noticeably better and more durable protection for complex orthopedic procedures. Plans with flat, age-independent premiums may initially cost more for very young horses, but they stabilize noticeably compared with age-dependent plans as the horse gets older [1]. The deliberate choice of plan therefore has a major impact on future premium trends. A detailed comparison of plan structures before signing prevents later surprises with the annual premium bill.

Age-Dependent Premium Tiers

Many insurers on the market work by default with age-dependent premium tiers, where the monthly premium automatically rises in fixed steps as the horse gets older. These planned, contractually fixed increases must be strictly distinguished from the unscheduled premium adjustments under clause 11 of the terms. At Barmenia, the premium is heavily based on the exact age at the start of cover, which makes signing up early financially very attractive. Anyone insuring a young foal or a yearling benefits in the long run from significantly better terms. Signing up later inevitably leads to significantly higher starting premiums. The actuarial calculation factors in the statistically much higher surgery risk for older animals. In practice, waiting to take out cover until health problems first appear usually turns out to be a costly mistake.

Waiting Periods When Switching Plans

Switching to a supposedly cheaper plan, or to a completely different provider, generally triggers new contractual waiting periods immediately. Barmenia's general waiting period is exactly three months; for life-threatening colic surgery it's five days, and for specific joint surgeries (such as OCD or bone chips) it's as long as twelve months. If there's prior cover that continues seamlessly with no gap in time, the general waiting period can be waived, provided the specific risk was already fully covered. Even so, the substantial risk of permanent exclusions for conditions already diagnosed by a vet remains. The monthly savings from switching must clearly outweigh these potential coverage gaps. nextsure precisely calculates these opportunity costs, protecting against disadvantageous switches. Switching plans always requires a holistic look at the horse's individual health history.

Exact benefits are set out in the individual policy.

Alternatives and Switching Plans After an Adjustment

Switching to Full Health Insurance

Alternatives and plan switches after an adjustment should always be assessed strategically and without time pressure. If the premium for pure surgery cover rises sharply due to adjustments, it's often worth directly comparing it against comprehensive equine health insurance. This premium solution covers not just expensive surgical procedures but also outpatient and conservative treatment, prescribed medication, and extensive diagnostics that don't lead to surgery. The key difference from general equine health insurance lies in the much broader scope of cover, which naturally comes with a higher monthly premium. nextsure offers plans tailored exactly to need and budget for this. A professional needs assessment prevents costly mistakes. The surcharge for full health insurance often pays off if the horse develops a chronic condition and needs ongoing medication.

Adjusting the Deductible

An extremely effective way to reduce premiums without a risky change of provider is to deliberately adjust the contractual deductible. Agreeing to a fixed out-of-pocket amount per claim, or a percentage-reduced reimbursement rate, lowers the monthly premium noticeably and immediately. Barmenia allows such internal contract adjustments to keep essential surgery cover affordable even as costs generally rise. The owner then bears a defined part of the cost for every surgery performed, but remains protected against existentially threatening peak costs in the five-figure range. This strategy suits financially solid horse owners in particular. Liquidity in a claim must, however, be absolutely guaranteed. Having emergency savings in an instant-access account equal to the chosen deductible is an absolute prerequisite for this model. Brokers often recommend this option to preserve the value of an existing long-standing contract along with its acquired rights.

Covering Other Kinds of Animals

Committed horse owners often keep other animals on their property too, and their cover should be coordinated intelligently. Besides dogs and cats, nextsure also offers specialized cover for hobby farm animals. Strategically bundling different policies with a specialized broker significantly reduces the administrative burden for the customer. While classic bundle discounts are rare in pet insurance, central management through a modern digital platform creates maximum transparency over all expenses. When a premium adjustment is announced, the broker proactively reviews the entire portfolio for optimization potential. This saves valuable time and eases the household budget. A single point of contact for all animal-related risks simplifies filing claims and enormously speeds up reimbursement payouts. This way, owners keep full oversight of their insurance premiums even with complex herds.

Steps After Receiving a Premium Increase Notice

• Check the notice letter for compliance with the one-month deadline.
• Compare the new premium against Barmenia's current new-customer rates.
• Review the horse's health history for possible pre-existing conditions.
• Use nextsure's digital comparison tools for market offers.
• Decide on special cancellation or keeping the plan within the deadline.

A hasty switch without a health check can lead to dangerous coverage gaps.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Equine Surgery Insurance

Assessing the Economics of Premium Increases

A cost-benefit analysis of equine surgery insurance quickly puts the often emotional reaction to contractual premium increases into perspective. Raising the monthly premium by ten or fifteen percent may seem annoying at first, but it's nothing compared to the real cost of surgery at a modern equine clinic. Complex fracture treatment or severe colic surgery with a multi-day inpatient stay quickly adds up to between €5,000 and €8,000. Without corresponding insurance cover, such an unforeseeable event means immediate financial ruin for many owners, or the tragic death sentence for a beloved horse. The monthly premium acts as a highly predictable risk transfer. The math clearly favors keeping the policy. Anyone weighing higher premiums against the risk of a total loss recognizes the true value of this specialist insurance.

The Long-Term Perspective on Insurance Cover

The intrinsic value of the insurance rises almost exponentially with the horse's age. While young horses statistically need surgery less often, degenerative joint disease, tumors, or complex tooth root problems pile up substantially in older horses. Anyone who cancels the contract over a moderate premium adjustment irretrievably loses acquired rights such as Barmenia's valuable waiver of cancellation from the seventh insurance year onward. Signing up a fifteen-year-old horse is almost impossible on the German market, or comes with extreme risk exclusions and sky-high premiums. Loyalty to the insurer definitely pays off in the late, often cost-intensive stage of an animal's life. Consistency beats short-term savings. A well-advised horse owner therefore always views surgery insurance as a lifelong project for their animal. Knee-jerk reactions to a premium increase almost always lead to massive coverage gaps in old age.

The Role of the Digital Broker

nextsure continuously monitors the contract landscape. Every time Barmenia announces a premium adjustment, an automated, data-driven review of current market alternatives is carried out. If switching is genuinely worthwhile both economically and medically, the entire process is handled fully digitally and with full legal certainty. If, however, the in-depth analysis shows that the existing Barmenia plan still offers the best value in the market despite the increase, the customer receives a well-founded recommendation to stay. This objective advisory approach strictly separates emotion from hard facts. The focus is always on the animal's optimal protection. Thanks to this professional support, horse owners don't have to fight their way through complex terms and fee schedules themselves. The broker's expertise guarantees that every decision is made on a solid, reliable information basis.

Literature

• [1] finanztip.de – Equine surgery insurance
• [2] dogvers.de – Barmenia equine surgery insurance
• [3] huk.de – Equine surgery insurance