Private supplementary insurance: more benefits, lower costs – your route to optimal healthcare cover
06.06.25
8
Minutes
Katrin Straub
Managing Director at nextsure
Is your statutory health insurance really sufficient? A private supplementary insurance policy offers you tailored healthcare benefits and protects you against unexpected costs. Find out how you can optimise your cover and benefit from first-class care.
The topic in brief and concise terms
A private supplementary insurance policy complements the benefits of statutory health insurance and covers costs that would otherwise have to be paid out of pocket.
Important areas are dental treatment, hospital stays and outpatient supplementary benefits such as visual aids or alternative practitioners.
The costs vary depending on age, health status and scope of cover; comparing options is essential. [4,]
Effectively close gaps in statutory health insurance coverage
Statutory health insurance (GKV) covers necessary medical treatments. The Social Code Book V stipulates that benefits must be “sufficient, appropriate and economical” and may “not exceed the extent of what is necessary”. Many modern or comfort-oriented services therefore do not fall under GKV cover. A private supplementary insurance policy can provide targeted support here. It covers the costs of treatments that go beyond basic care. For example, this secures accommodation in a single or double room during a hospital stay. Without supplementary insurance, costs of up to 200 euros per day can quickly arise here. [4,]
This individual supplement is worth considering for anyone with statutory insurance. The number of supplementary insurance policies has more than doubled since 2000. [4,-] This shows the growing need for tailored health cover. With a suitable health supplementary insurance policy, you can close gaps in cover. This applies not only to inpatient care, but also to outpatient treatment and dental prosthetics. Choosing the right components is crucial for cover that meets your needs.
A wide range of service modules for individual needs
Private supplementary insurance policies offer a wide range of benefit modules. The most common include dental supplementary insurance, hospital supplementary insurance and outpatient supplementary insurance. Dental supplementary insurance is particularly popular, as dentures can be expensive. The GKV often only provides a fixed subsidy for standard care, for example 50 per cent for a metal crown. [2,2,] If you want a high-quality implant, your own contribution can quickly amount to several thousand euros.
Hospital supplementary insurance, for example, gives you treatment by the senior consultant and accommodation in a single or twin room. Without this cover, you would have to expect a co-payment of almost 10,000 euros for a single room with senior consultant treatment during a 12-day bypass operation. Outpatient supplementary insurance covers the cost of visual aids, alternative practitioners or extended preventive check-ups. Many insurers also offer special plans such as glasses insurance or alternative practitioner supplementary insurance. The flexibility to choose individual components enables tailored cover. INTER Versicherung, for example, offers plans that provide subsidies for visual aids of up to 375 euros within 24 months. This ensures that only risks that are genuinely needed are covered.
Carefully weigh up costs and benefits
The cost of private supplementary insurance varies considerably. It depends on the chosen tariff, the scope of cover, the age at entry and the state of health. [4,] A young person (25 years old) can obtain hospital supplementary insurance with comfort cover from as little as €6.40 per month. Dental supplementary insurance for adults with good benefits is available from around €7.78 per month. [3,24] It is important to view the premium in relation to the potential costs without insurance. A professional dental cleaning, for example, can cost between €80 and €120.
Before taking out a policy, you should analyse your individual needs. Ask yourself: Which benefits are important to me? How high is my budget? Long-term care supplementary insurance can be worthwhile, as statutory long-term care insurance often only covers part of the costs. INTER, for example, offers daily sickness allowance of up to €300 per day. Careful review of the policy terms and conditions, particularly waiting periods and exclusions, is essential. Many providers now waive general waiting periods, but for certain benefits such as maternity or dental prosthetics, they can still be up to eight months.
Expert tips: legal aspects and optimisation potential
The legal basis for private supplementary insurance can be found in the Insurance Contract Act (VVG) and the Insurance Supervision Act (VAG). These laws regulate the rights and obligations of insurers and policyholders. One important aspect is the health assessment before the contract is concluded. Always answer health questions truthfully to avoid jeopardising your insurance cover. Incorrect information can lead to refusal of benefits or cancellation. Our expert tip: review existing contracts regularly, at least every three to five years, to check they are up to date and to identify any possible premium adjustments.
Contributions to private supplementary insurance can, under certain conditions, be claimed for tax purposes as retirement provision expenses. For employees, the maximum amount is 1,900 euros; for self-employed people, it is 2,800 euros per year, with contributions to basic health and long-term care insurance also counted here. Often, this maximum amount is already used up by compulsory insurance. A hospital supplementary insurance policy can nevertheless provide important financial relief in the event of illness. The number of private supplementary insurance policies has steadily increased in recent years; in 2024, there were 31.02 million such contracts in Germany, an increase of four per cent compared with the previous year. This underlines the growing importance of this form of cover. Pay attention to the exact rules on premium adjustments in your contract. In recent years, the Federal Court of Justice has issued several important rulings on this (e.g. ref. IV ZR 294/19). [6,]
You should consider the following points when choosing and optimising your private supplementary insurance:
Needs analysis: Which benefits are really relevant to your life situation?
Scope of benefits: Do the tariffs cover the benefits you want (e.g. single room in hospital, high-quality dental materials)?
Cost-benefit ratio: Is the premium proportionate to the benefits provided?
Waiting periods: Are there waiting periods, and how long are they for the benefits relevant to you?
Health questions: Be absolutely honest and complete when answering them.
Contract terms: Read the small print, especially regarding exclusions and benefit limits.
Provider comparison: Obtain several quotes and compare not only the price, but also the detailed benefits.
A well-considered choice will ensure you have optimal protection in the long term. Regularly reviewing your cover helps ensure that you remain insured appropriately at all times.
Finding the right supplementary insurance for specific needs
Alongside the main categories, there are private supplementary insurance policies for very specific needs. This includes, for example, hearing aid insurance or tariffs that cover alternative treatment methods. INTER Insurance, for example, reimburses the costs of osteopathy or naturopathic treatments. For frequent travellers, international travel health insurance is essential, as it also covers medically necessary return transport – a benefit that often goes beyond the protection offered by a standard outpatient supplementary insurance policy. This often costs just a few euros a year.
There are also tailored options for children. A supplementary dental insurance policy for children can cover orthodontic treatments, which can quickly cost several thousand euros. Allianz offers tariffs here that cover up to EUR 3,000 for orthodontics. The important thing is to adapt the cover to each stage of life. A young single person has different needs from a family with two children or a pensioner. The modular structure of many offers allows for flexible customisation. Remember that taking out cover is often easier while you are young and healthy, as premiums are usually lower and there is little or no medical underwriting. So getting to grips with private supplementary insurance at an early stage pays off.
Your next step towards optimal protection
Private supplementary insurance is an important component of comprehensive healthcare provision. It closes gaps in statutory health insurance and provides access to high-quality medical services. An individual needs analysis is the first step towards your tailored cover. At nextsure, we support you in finding the private supplementary insurance that is right for you. Our experts analyse your situation and prepare a non-binding quote for you. This enables you to secure the best possible care without breaking your budget. Take your healthcare provision into your own hands.
Request an individual risk analysis now: Have your insurance situation reviewed free of charge and receive specific recommendations for improvement.
More useful links
The Federal Ministry of Health provides comprehensive information on private health insurance.
The Federal Ministry of Health explains private compulsory long-term care insurance.
The Association of Private Health Insurance (PKV) provides information on healthcare in Germany.
The Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care explains who pays which costs in hospital.
Wikipedia provides a detailed overview of private health supplementary insurance.
Wikipedia provides comprehensive information on private health insurance.
Wikipedia explains inpatient health supplementary insurance.
Wikipedia offers a detailed article on dental supplementary insurance.
The Consumer Advice Centre provides information on useful supplementary insurance policies for statutory health insurance.
The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) provides current data on healthcare expenditure in Germany.
FAQ
Why is private supplementary insurance important?
It closes gaps in coverage in statutory health insurance and enables access to enhanced medical services, such as treatment by a senior consultant or high-quality dental prosthetics, helping to avoid high out-of-pocket costs.
Who is a private supplementary insurance policy worthwhile for?
It is worthwhile for anyone with statutory health insurance who values medical care that goes beyond basic provision and wants to protect themselves against high co-payments.
What does dental supplementary insurance cover?
It covers the costs of dental prosthetics (e.g. implants, crowns), dental treatments (e.g. high-quality fillings), preventive care (e.g. professional teeth cleaning) and often also orthodontics for children that go beyond the statutory health insurance fixed subsidy.
What are the benefits of hospital supplementary insurance?
It enables, for example, accommodation in a single or twin room, consultant treatment and free choice of hospital, which can significantly improve comfort and the quality of treatment during an inpatient stay.
What should be considered when taking out private supplementary insurance?
What is important is an honest answer to the health questions, checking waiting periods, exclusions of benefits and the precise definition of the desired scope of cover in relation to the premium.
How do I find the right private supplementary insurance for me?
Analyse your individual needs, compare offers from different insurers in terms of price and cover, and, if necessary, seek independent advice. nextsure offers a free risk analysis.
