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For the self-employedPrivate or statutory when self-employedRequirements for the self-employedBest plans for the self-employedSwitching to private health insuranceIs private health insurance worth itCosts and protection
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For civil servantsPrivate or statutoryRequirementsPublic sectorSwitching to private health insuranceBeihilfe
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BenefitsClaimCancelling your policyBack to statutory insuranceTerminated without noticePrivate health insurance offers special plans for doctors and medical professionals. We show how you start early, benefit from doctors' plans and protect your income.
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A switch to private health insurance needs careful thought. The most important points before you decide.
A neutral comparison of the two insurance systems for doctors.
| Criterion | Statutory | Private |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | Depends only on gross income up to the Beitragsbemessungsgrenze BBG · BeitragsbemessungsgrenzeThe contribution ceiling of statutory health and long-term care insurance. Income above this amount is not used to calculate contributions.More about BBG →. | Calculated by health status, age at entry and scope of benefits, often with low-cost doctors' plans. |
| Family | Spouses without income and children are covered free of charge. | Each person needs their own contract and pays their own premium. |
| Benefits | Care defined by law at a sufficient, appropriate and economical level. | A contract you can design individually, with guaranteed and often more extensive benefits. |
| Premiums in old age | Because of their pension from the professional pension scheme, doctors in retirement are often classed as voluntary members and pay contributions on all types of income. | Premiums do not depend on income. |
Real situations that show how individual the right solution is.
Employed junior doctor, healthy: is entitled to training plans for doctors, secures a cheaper start this way and benefits from it for life.
The plan continued unchanged when the practice was founded. Only the employer contribution ended, as planned. From the start, the premium was calculated so that it stays affordable even without the contribution.
Found the right plan through an anonymous risk enquiry, without an entry on record.
The choice between private and statutory insurance depends on each doctor's situation. Factors such as income, marital status, health status and long-term career planning play an important role. For most doctors with a good income, private health insurance often offers more advantages, especially in the scope of benefits and in the long-term financial outlook in retirement.
| Aspect | Advantage private | Advantage statutory |
|---|---|---|
| Premium level for high earners | ✓ | |
| Family insurance | ✓ | |
| Scope of benefits | ✓ | |
| Premium stability in old age | ✓ | |
| Free choice of doctors and hospitals | ✓ | |
| Simplicity of the system | ✓ | |
| Advantage in retirement for doctors | ✓ |
The doctors' plan is a special plan of private health insurance. It is available on particularly favorable conditions and offers very good value for money.
The reason is the assumption that this professional group is more health-conscious and causes medical costs less often. Accordingly, doctors pay less in these plans or receive better benefits at a regular price.
However, we find that doctors' plans can be less stable in their premiums than normal plans, because the plan groups are smaller.
| Target group | Advantages of private | Disadvantages of private | Special features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical students | Low-cost entry plans, early protection of your health status | Risk of rising premiums, difficult return to statutory insurance | Option of later doctors' plans |
| Junior doctors | Reduced training plans, early start in private health insurance | Possible premium jump after training | Move into regular doctors' plans |
| Family members | Access to doctors' plans, often better benefits | Higher total costs for families | Separate insurance for each member |
| Part-time doctors | Benefits stay unchanged | Premiums stay the same despite lower income | Flexibility through a plan change or Anwartschaft Anwartschaft · AnwartschaftsversicherungA dormant policy that keeps your rights in private health insurance while you do not need cover. It protects your health status for a later return.More about Anwartschaftsversicherung → |
Medical students and junior doctors benefit from low-cost entry plans, but must consider the long-term consequences. For families, private health insurance can be more expensive than family insurance in the statutory system, but it often offers better benefits. Part-time doctors should weigh the premium burden carefully when their income is reduced.
With relevant pre-existing conditions, the choice of private insurers is often very limited. What many doctors do not know: special DKV group contracts for liberal professions have special acceptance rules. The DKV speaks there of guaranteed acceptance of insurable persons. This becomes interesting above all when a normal risk assessment with other insurers is difficult.
PKV-Welt practical knowledge: For doctors with pre-existing conditions, we therefore check not only the classic private health insurance plans, but also access through professional and group contracts.
For doctors, dentists and psychological psychotherapists, the DKV offers the KTAA, a daily sickness benefit plan designed for these professional groups. This matters because a doctor in their own practice has completely different cover needs during a longer illness than an employee.
For self-employed doctors, rent, salaries and other fixed costs of the practice often continue even when they are unable to work. The special DKV daily sickness benefit plans explicitly allow you to include these ongoing practice costs.
PKV-Welt practical knowledge: For a doctor in their own practice, calculating Krankentagegeld KrankentagegeldPrivate sick pay: a daily allowance from private insurance while you are unable to work. It replaces lost income from an agreed day of illness.More about Krankentagegeld → only from private net income falls well short.
According to the DKV, in certain billing associations the daily sickness benefit contract can be continued up to age 75. For doctors who work beyond the classic retirement age, this can be decisive.
For doctors, private health insurance costs from around €250. Special doctors' plans are often cheaper than comparable general plans. What matters are age at entry, health status and scope of benefits. Plans at a good medical level cost about €380 to €520 per month. As an employed doctor, your employer pays half, up to the maximum contribution.
In statutory health insurance, the maximum rate for 2026 is €1,226.44 including Zusatzbeitrag ZusatzbeitragThe additional contribution each statutory health insurance fund charges on top of the general rate. Its level differs from fund to fund.More about Zusatzbeitrag → and long-term care insurance (around €1,017 without long-term care insurance). If you are employed, your employer pays half. In private health insurance, the premium depends on the plan, age at entry and health. Doctors' plans with strong benefits start at around €380 per month. As an employed doctor, you pay half of that.
In the long term, you should expect rising premiums. From 2006 to 2026, premiums in private health insurance rose by an average of 3.4% per year according to the association of private health insurers, and in statutory health insurance by 3.9%. An early start and a solidly calculated doctors' plan keep the premium stable. This is why we pay special attention to premium stability.
Because many doctors start early, high ageing reserves are built up over the years. They cushion the premium in old age. The statutory surcharge of 10% ends from age 60, and a premium relief plan lowers your premium in retirement in a targeted way. Retirement matters especially for doctors. They often pay into a Versorgungswerk of their profession and, in retirement, are often listed as voluntary members of statutory health insurance. Then, as a rule, pension payments from the professional scheme as well as rental and investment income also count. So even in old age, the statutory maximum contribution can apply.
A deductible lowers the premium and suits doctors with a good income. An internal plan change under § 204 VVG often saves money without changing insurer and without losing your ageing reserves. Comparing a standard plan with a doctors' plan also pays off regularly.
| Item | Current (statutory) | Target (private) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly premium | €1,017.19 | €500 | −€517 |
| Employer contribution | €508.59 | €250 | −€259 |
| Own share, gross | €508.59 | €250 | −€259 |
| Total annual costs (own share) | around €6,100 | €3,000 | −€3,100 |
Sample calculation based on average plans. Individual factors such as age at entry, health status and choice of plan affect the result.
Selected plans for doctors in hospitals and in private practice.
AM10, S1, Z9 (Arzt)
VA6-U, Premium Zahn-U
VHV1+
JABest
Premium-MED, SP1
MB100/G
Our rating for each plan on a scale from 1 to 10. We deliberately show no monthly premiums, because the premium depends on age, health and scope of benefits.
Popular benefit modules you can choose in your private health insurance.
Private health insurance should cover at least 80% of high costs for dental treatment, crowns, implants and other dentures.
Often a cost driver: how important are these benefits to you? This is a personal decision.
Private health insurance should reimburse the important preventive checkups without restrictions.
Physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy should be reimbursed without tight benefit limits.
In many cases, the Versorgungswerk does not reimburse rehab and spa treatment. Your plan should close this gap.
Private health insurance should pay for medically necessary aids such as hearing aids, bandages or orthopedic insoles.
Good plans reimburse doctors' fees even above the standard maximum rates of the official fee schedule. As a doctor, you know how billing works in practice.
We compare the entire market and find the plan with the best balance of benefits and stable premiums.
We show you what you should know before switching to private health insurance.
Doctors' plans are special plans that some insurers offer for medical professionals. They often provide strong benefits on attractive conditions. Whether a doctors' plan is cheaper than a general plan is something we check in an individual comparison.
Yes. A low age at entry secures a low premium, and you build up ageing reserves early. There are also low-cost student plans for medical students.
When you open your own practice, the employer contribution ends and you pay the premium alone. The plan itself stays in place. We plan this transition early so that it stays financially manageable.
Get all your questions answered, free of charge and without obligation.
Personal advice from our specialists. Response time: under 24 hours.
From the age of 55, admission to private health insurance is often possible only with restrictions. A late switch can also mean higher premiums.
It matters to us that a switch pays off for you in the long run. That is why we do not recommend a consultation when your answers already show that the conditions are rather unfavorable.
Not sure, or want to correct your answers? Feel free to contact us. We will help you assess your situation.
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