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Does supplementary health insurance pay for a spa cure in Germany?

In short

Does supplementary health insurance pay for a spa cure in Germany? Usually not: standard terms exclude a Kur and sanatorium stays unless the plan says otherwise. Your public health insurer pays for an approved cure, and you pay 10 euros a day. For the extra costs there is a separate Kur daily allowance (Kurtagegeld), for public patients often up to 40 euros a day for at most 28 days in three years.

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What it costs

Statutory figures and published plan details, as of October 2026.

Example	Typical range
Co-payment for an inpatient cure or rehab, per day	10 euros, 210 euros for three weeks
Public subsidy for outpatient prevention at a spa town	up to 16 euros a day, small children up to 25 euros
Combined hospital and Kur allowance 15 euros, age 25	about 3.84 euros a month
Kur daily allowance for public patients	up to 40 euros per cure day, at most 28 days in three years
Kur allowance in 5 euro steps	from 5 euros a day, 28 days in three calendar years

Co-payment and subsidy come from Book V of the German Social Code,

the plan figures from published details of three providers.

The extra costs in the example are guide values from our quoting practice.

Your premium depends on age and daily rate; we obtain the exact quote for you.

Worked example

Inpatient prevention cure, 21 days, with a 40 euro Kur allowance

A 45 year old woman with back problems spends three weeks in a cure clinic, approved by her public health insurer.

Co-payment (21 × 10 euros)	210 euros
Travel, spa tax, phone, guide value	about 100 to 200 euros
Total costs	about 310 to 410 euros
Kur allowance (21 × 40 euros)	840 euros

The allowance covers all costs and leaves about 430 to 530 euros, for example for lost earnings. Without it she pays the 310 to 410 euros herself.

What public health insurance pays for a Kur

German statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) covers prevention and rehab cures prescribed by a doctor once they are approved. For an inpatient cure it pays accommodation, meals and treatment in a contracted facility. Adults pay 10 euros per calendar day.

For an outpatient prevention cure in a recognised spa town, the insurer pays for treatment and may, under its statutes, add up to 16 euros a day towards other costs. Inpatient prevention and rehab normally last up to three weeks, and adults can usually repeat them only after four years.

If the rehab comes from the German pension insurance (Rentenversicherung), its own co-payment applies. All co-payments count towards an annual cap of 2 percent of your gross income, or 1 percent for the chronically ill.

Public benefit	Length and gap	Your share
Inpatient prevention cure	usually up to three weeks, every four years	10 euros a day
Outpatient prevention at a spa town	repeat after three years	board and lodging, subsidy up to 16 euros a day
Inpatient rehab	usually up to three weeks, every four years	10 euros a day
Outpatient rehab	usually up to 20 treatment days	depends on the provider's rules
Follow-up rehab after hospital	starts within 14 days	10 euros a day, at most 28 days a year

Why ordinary supplementary insurance does not pay

Most private supplementary plans are based on the model terms of the private health insurers. Section 5(1)(d) says there is no cover for Kur and sanatorium treatment or for rehab by statutory providers, unless the plan provides otherwise.

A hospital supplement with chief physician and private room therefore pays in hospital, but not in a cure clinic. Outpatient plans for glasses and alternative practitioners usually pay nothing for cure treatments either.

The line is not completely rigid. The Higher Regional Court of Nuremberg ruled that an inpatient rehab not arranged by a statutory provider does not automatically fall under the Kur exclusion (judgment of 13.10.2025, 8 U 447/24). If a clinic stay is refused as a cure, it is worth taking a closer look.

The Kur daily allowance: a separate add-on

A Kurtagegeld pays a fixed amount for each cure day, which you can spend freely: on the co-payment, travel, a companion or lost earnings. It usually requires a cure prescribed by a doctor and approved by your health or pension insurer.

Typical plans pay for 28 days within two or three calendar years. Inpatient cures get the full rate, outpatient cures often only 50 to 75 percent. Some plans reduce the cure rate with age, for example to half from age 40.

A combined hospital and Kur daily allowance of 15 euros a day costs just under 4 euros a month at age 25. Stand-alone cure plans for public patients offer up to 40 euros a day, some without health questions and with a three month waiting period.

Plan feature	Common on the market	What to check
Daily rate	15 to 40 euros for public patients	does it cover at least the co-payment
Benefit period	28 days in two or three years	is follow-up rehab counted separately
Outpatient cure	50 to 75 percent of the daily rate	only away from your home town
Waiting period	none to three months	sometimes eight months for psychological rehab
Health questions	sometimes none	a cure advised before signing is usually excluded

When a Kur allowance is worth it and when not

It is worth it if a cure is likely in the coming years, for example with back problems, rheumatism or as a family carer, and the costs on top of the co-payment would strain your budget. A three week cure then quickly brings several hundred euros.

It is not worth it if a cure is unlikely, or if you can easily pay the 210 euros co-payment for three weeks yourself. If you have already discussed a cure with your doctor, a new policy will usually not cover it. For most people, dental and hospital supplements matter more.

How to claim

The route always runs through your health or pension insurer: your doctor applies, the provider approves. You then send the approval letter and the facility's confirmation of your stay to the supplementary insurer.

A self-booked wellness week without approval is not a cure under these plans. Neither public insurance nor a Kur allowance pays for it.

Step by step

Search your supplementary plan for the words Kur, Sanatorium and Rehabilitation.
Consider whether a cure is likely in the coming years.
Choose a daily rate that covers at least the co-payment and travel.
Compare benefit days, the reduction for outpatient cures and the waiting period.
Sign up before a cure has been discussed with your doctor.
If you go on a cure, send the approval and confirmation of stay to the supplementary insurer.

Checklist

Kur and sanatorium rules in your own plan checked
Daily rate covers at least 10 euros co-payment plus extras
Cover for outpatient cures as well
Follow-up rehab after hospital included
Waiting period known
No cure discussed or advised before signing

Common mistakes

Assuming your hospital supplement also pays in a cure clinic
Taking out a Kur allowance only after the cure has been applied for
Claiming a wellness trip without approval as a cure
Overlooking the reduced rate for outpatient cures
Not using the annual cap on co-payments

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does public health insurance in Germany pay for a cure?

Yes, if it is prescribed and approved.

Adults pay 10 euros a day for inpatient cures.

Does a hospital supplement pay for a cure?

Usually not.

Standard terms exclude cures and sanatorium stays unless the plan says otherwise.

What does a Kur allowance cost?

A combined plan with a 15 euro daily rate costs just under 4 euros a month at age 25.

Higher rates and higher ages cost more.

How often does a Kur allowance pay?

Usually for at most 28 days within two or three calendar years.

Does it cover a mother and child cure?

That depends on the plan.

Check whether prevention for mothers and fathers is mentioned before you sign.

Do I have to pay the co-payment on a low income?

Co-payments are capped at 2 percent of your gross annual income,

1 percent if you are chronically ill.

Above that you can apply for an exemption.

Is the Kur allowance taxable?

According to providers, the allowance is paid free of income tax.

Sources

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