Single room in private health insurance: an optional hospital service

Next to chief physician treatment, the single room is the second major optional service in hospital. Hospitals typically charge a surcharge of €150 to €300 per day for a single room and €80 to €180 for a two-bed room. Whether private health insurance pays these amounts depends on the accommodation clause in the plan. Even the best plan only pays if you have signed an optional services agreement.

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Expert tips

When the room surcharge is reimbursed and how you avoid high out-of-pocket shares.

Do not forget the optional services agreement

We recommend that you check the optional services agreement in writing before every planned hospital stay. Without this agreement on admission, even a comfort plan does not reimburse the room surcharge.

Calculate the out-of-pocket share realistically

If you expect a hospital stay, we recommend a single room clause in your plan. For ten days in hospital, it quickly saves you an out-of-pocket share of €1,500 to €3,000.

The two-bed room as a middle way

A two-bed room costs about half of the single room surcharge and is included in many mid-range plans. For most stays, it is the sensible compromise between quiet and premium.

Optional hospital services →

Doing without can pay off

If you do not use an insured single room, many plans pay a hospital daily allowance as compensation. This clause makes the component interesting for pragmatic people too.

Contents

Comparison
When it is insured
Costs and reimbursement
Our recommendation
Without a plan clause
No room available
At childbirth
Medically better?

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Single room compared: statutory and private

Criterion	Statutory	Private
Cost coverage	not a standard hospital service, only as a private optional service or through supplementary insurance	single or two-bed room insured as an optional service, depending on the plan
Accommodation	shared room as the rule	single or two-bed room according to the plan
Out-of-pocket share	full surcharge per day as a self-payer	depending on the plan, no or a limited out-of-pocket share
Requirement	optional services agreement on admission	inclusion in the plan and optional services agreement

Single room in private health insurance in detail

When is a single room insured?

Accommodation is one of the optional hospital services that each plan regulates on its own. Comfort plans insure the single room, mid-range plans the two-bed room, and entry-level plans only the general hospital services in a shared room. Unlike the scope of treatment, this is not about medicine but about quiet and privacy. Medical care is the same in all room categories.

Reimbursement requires two things. The first is the right clause in the plan. The second is the optional services agreement, which you sign in writing when you are admitted to hospital. This agreement is a separate contract with the hospital. If it is not signed, there is no single room at the plan's expense. If it is signed without the plan covering it, you pay the surcharges yourself.

What does a single room cost and how is it reimbursed?

The surcharges depend on the room category.

Accommodation	Typical surcharge per day
Single room	€150 to €300
Two-bed room	€80 to €180
Shared room (general hospital service)	no surcharge, included in every full-cover plan

For a ten-day stay, a single room adds up to €1,500 to €3,000. Without the right clause, you are left with these amounts as an out-of-pocket share. Hospitals usually bill insured optional services directly to the insurer. Separate maximum amounts are rare for accommodation, because the surcharge is built into the plan. All amounts are guide values and differ by hospital and region.

After an emergency admission, you can still sign the optional services agreement. It can be signed during the first days of the stay and then applies from the date of signing. If you accompany a relative through a hospital stay, ask early for the optional services form.

What do we recommend on the room clause?

From our plan advice, the most common surprise we see is the total cost of longer stays. Single days in hospital seem manageable, three weeks after a major operation do not. We recommend plans with a single room clause to policyholders from the age of fifty. The statistical length of stay rises with age, while the extra cost in the plan stays moderate.

In a plan comparison, accommodation belongs together with the question of the chosen physician, although both can still be insured separately. There are plans with a two-bed room without chief physician treatment and the other way round. If you combine the components on purpose, you only pay for the comfort you actually want.

Can I get a single room without a matching plan clause?

Yes, but at your own expense. You can always sign the optional services agreement with the hospital. The surcharge of €150 to €300 per day is then paid entirely by you.

What happens if no single room is available?

Then the surcharge does not apply for the days on which the hospital cannot provide the agreed accommodation. Some plans then pay a hospital daily allowance as compensation for the optional service you did not receive.

Does the single room clause also apply to childbirth?

Yes, the optional accommodation service also applies to inpatient births, and the family room is especially popular there. Whether the plan also pays the surcharges for an accompanying person, for example through rooming-in, is set out in a separate clause. Clarify this before the birth.

Is a single room medically better?

Medical treatment is identical in all room categories. A single room offers quiet, privacy and undisturbed visits, which can make recovery feel easier. It does not come with a medical promise.

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