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Are there waiting periods in supplementary health insurance?

In short

Yes, there are waiting periods in supplementary health insurance in Germany: the law allows at most three months in general and eight months for dentures, psychotherapy and childbirth. Many tariffs now waive them completely. After an accident the general waiting period does not apply, and problems that existed before you signed are never covered.

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Are there waiting periods in supplementary health insurance?

What it costs

What waiting periods and first-year caps mean in euros, from published terms and comparisons.

Example	Typical range
Dental tariff without waiting period, cap in the first year	about EUR 500 to 1,750
Staggered dental cap over four years, sample tariff	EUR 750, 1,500, 2,250 and 3,000
Glasses module after the waiting period	about EUR 300 to 400 every two years
Heilpraktiker budget after the waiting period	about EUR 1,000 to 2,400 in two years

As of October 2026.

Periods and caps differ per tariff; the terms of your contract are decisive.

Worked example

Dental tariff without waiting period, crown after four months

The crown only becomes necessary after signing. The tariff pays 90 percent, but at most EUR 750 in the first year.

Bill for the crown	EUR 1,000
Fixed subsidy from the public fund	about EUR 250
Tariff payout without cap (90 percent minus fund)	EUR 650
Cap in the first year	EUR 750

The tariff pays the full EUR 650, you pay EUR 100. With an eight-month waiting period you would have paid EUR 750 yourself.

What a waiting period is

The waiting period (Wartezeit) is the time between the start of your contract and the day the tariff starts paying. Treatment that falls into this period is not reimbursed, even if the bill arrives later.

German law caps it: the general waiting period may not exceed three months, the special one for childbirth, psychotherapy, dental treatment, dentures and orthodontics eight months.

Supplementary cover	Usual waiting period
Dental	often none, otherwise up to eight months for dentures
Hospital	mostly three months, some tariffs none
Heilpraktiker and naturopathy	mostly three months, some tariffs none
Glasses	mostly three months, some tariffs none
Travel health	usually none

No waiting period does not mean no limit

Tariffs without a waiting period often limit payouts in another way. For dental cover this is the staggered cap (Zahnstaffel): in the first year the tariff pays at most EUR 750, in the first two years together EUR 1,500, and so on.

One rule no tariff lifts: anything that had already started, been recommended or was known before you signed is not covered. If you sign with toothache, the upcoming crown will not be paid.

If you just arrived in Germany

The health questions also cover treatment in your home country. A dentist abroad who recommended a crown last year counts as known, even if no German dentist has seen you yet.

Sign before your first check-up in Germany. If the dentist then finds something new, it is covered after the waiting period or within the first-year cap.

When the waiting period does not apply

After an accident the general waiting period does not apply. Many tariffs also waive the special waiting period and the caps if an accident makes dentures necessary.

Some insurers waive the waiting period if you submit a medical certificate on their form shortly after signing. Whether this is offered is stated in the terms.

Step by step

Search the terms for waiting period, staggered cap and maximum amounts.
Check whether the waiting period is waived after an accident.
Be honest about any treatment already recommended, at home or abroad.
Ask whether a medical certificate can replace the waiting period.
Do not put off signing if you want the cover anyway.

Checklist

General waiting period at most three months or none
Special waiting period for dentures stated or excluded
Caps in the first years known
Accidents exempt from all limits
No treatment recommended when you sign

Common mistakes

Believing that no waiting period means planned treatment is covered
Missing the staggered cap and expecting a large payout in year one
Waiting to sign until problems appear
Forgetting that new or higher benefits can start a new waiting period when you switch

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

How long can a waiting period be at most?

Three months in general and eight months for dentures, dental treatment, orthodontics, psychotherapy and childbirth.

Does the waiting period apply after an accident?

The general waiting period does not. Many tariffs then also waive the special waiting period and the caps.

Is there supplementary cover without a waiting period?

Yes, especially dental, glasses and hospital tariffs. Known problems are still not covered.

What if treatment starts during the waiting period?

Treatment that begins in the waiting period is usually not paid afterwards either.

Do I have to wait again if I switch?

Usually not for benefits you already had. A new waiting period can apply to new or higher benefits.

What is the difference between waiting period and staggered cap?

During the waiting period the tariff pays nothing. The staggered cap limits payouts in the first years to fixed amounts.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

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