Already in private health insurance: plan, premium and your rights as an existing customer

The strongest lever for existing customers is the right to change plan under § 204 VVG. It guarantees the switch to another plan of the same insurer, without losing ageing reserves and without new health questions, as long as the benefits do not increase.

If you want to lower the premium further, you can raise the deductible or use a no-claims refund for claim-free years. A plan analysis shows which plans of your insurer are an option in your case.

The insurer may only adjust the premium under the conditions of § 203 VVG and must give reasons for the increase. The adjustment gives you a special right of termination, which you can use within two months.

Before you cancel, however, it pays to look at an internal plan change, because it keeps your reserves and secures premium stability in the long term.

As a rule, private health insurance can be canceled with three months' notice to the end of the insurance year or calendar year. Any agreed minimum contract term must be observed. With comprehensive health insurance, the cancellation only takes effect once you have proof of continuous follow-on insurance.

When you change to another private insurer, the statutory transfer value is as a rule passed on for contracts from 2009. However, it does not equal the full ageing reserve built up with your previous insurer. Older contracts are subject to different and often less favorable rules.

Because an internal plan change as a rule credits your acquired rights and ageing reserves, you should check this option before changing insurer.

A return to statutory health insurance is only possible if compulsory insurance applies again, if you become entitled to family insurance or if another statutory route opens. For employees, this can be the case when their regular income falls below the Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze (i)JAEG · JahresarbeitsentgeltgrenzeThe annual income threshold in Germany. Employees who earn more than this per year may leave statutory health insurance and switch to private health insurance.More about JAEG →. From age 55, a return is often harder, but it is not ruled out on the grounds of age alone.

The part of the premiums for basic cover and the Pflegepflichtversicherung (i)PflegepflichtversicherungCompulsory long-term care insurance. Everyone with health insurance in Germany must have it, privately insured people through their private insurer. can as a rule be claimed as special expenses. Prepaying future premiums can also be interesting for tax purposes. Whether this actually leads to higher tax savings depends on your personal tax situation and the legal maximum limits.

The detail pages explain each right and each lever with the relevant legal sections and our recommendations.

Only under strict conditions, namely below the Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze and before age 55. From 55, the route that usually remains is family insurance through your spouse.

The ageing reserves stay with the private insurer. This is why you should always check a return for its long-term economics.