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Is supplementary hospital insurance worth it in Germany?

In short

It is worth it if you want to choose your own doctor and hospital. A good tariff with chief physician and two-bed room (Krankenhauszusatzversicherung) costs from about EUR 31 a month at 32 and from about EUR 49 at 52. If all you want is a quieter room, paying the surcharge of around EUR 65 a day yourself is often cheaper.

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Is supplementary hospital insurance worth it in Germany?

What it costs

Monthly premiums for good tariffs with two-bed room and chief physician, from publicly quoted tariff examples, 2026.

Example	Typical range
Age 32, good tariff with ageing reserves	from about EUR 31 a month
Age 52, good tariff with ageing reserves	from about EUR 49 a month
Age 21 to 30, two-bed room without ageing reserves	from about EUR 10 to 16 a month, rising with age
Paying the two-bed room yourself	around EUR 65 a day
Paying the single room yourself	around EUR 124 a day

Guide values as of September 2026, from publicly quoted tariff examples and average prices for private rooms. Your premium depends on age and health; we obtain the exact quote for you.

Worked example

Software engineer, 35, healthy, no operation planned

She compares ten years of premiums with what she would pay herself in an emergency.

Tariff with two-bed room and chief physician, with reserves	about EUR 33 a month
Premiums over ten years	about EUR 3,960
Paying only the two-bed room, two stays of six days each	about EUR 780
Paying the chief physician for a major operation yourself	often several thousand euros, guide value from our quoting practice

If the room is all she cares about, she is better off paying it herself. If she wants to choose doctor and hospital for a serious illness, the premium is well spent, especially as hardly any insurer will accept her later with pre-existing conditions.

What public insurance pays and what it does not

With statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV) you get full medical treatment in hospital. You do not choose who treats you, though: you get the doctor on duty, a room with two or more other patients and usually the nearest suitable hospital.

Supplementary hospital cover makes you a private patient for your hospital stay. You pick the hospital and the doctor, including the chief physician (Chefarzt) or a specialist, and depending on the tariff a two-bed or single room.

Benefit	Public insurance	With supplementary cover
Medically necessary treatment	yes	yes
Choice of doctor up to chief physician	no	yes, up to 3.5 times the GOÄ rate
Room	shared room	two-bed or single room
Free choice of hospital	limited, extra costs possible	yes
Co-payment of EUR 10 a day	yes, at most 28 days a year	some tariffs refund it

When it pays off

The real value lies in serious or planned operations: heart, spine, cancer, joint replacement. You can then go to the surgeon who does the procedure most often, even in another city.

It also makes sense if you are young and healthy and want to keep the policy into old age. You are accepted without surcharges and lock in a low entry age.

What expats should check

The health questions cover treatment anywhere in the world, not just in Germany. List doctor visits and hospital stays from your home country too, otherwise the insurer can withdraw from the contract later.

Many tariffs pay mainly for treatment in Germany and only for a limited time abroad. If you want to be treated in your home country, ask about this before you sign. A travel health policy is a separate product and still needed for trips.

When you do not need it

If you only want peace and quiet, pay for the two-bed room yourself when the time comes. A five-day stay costs around EUR 325, less than one year of premiums.

Serious pre-existing conditions also make it hard to get cover. The insurer asks about recent years and can add surcharges, exclude conditions or turn you down.

With or without ageing reserves

Tariffs without ageing reserves (Alterungsrückstellungen) are very cheap when you are young but get more expensive with every age band. You then pay most exactly when you need the cover most.

Tariffs with reserves cost more at the start, but the premium does not rise because of your age. If you want the cover into retirement, this is usually the better choice. If you expect to leave Germany within a few years, a tariff without reserves can be enough.

Hospital daily allowance is no substitute

A hospital daily allowance (Krankenhaustagegeld) pays a fixed amount per day, with no choice of doctor and no better room. It neither protects your income nor improves your treatment. Most people can do without it.

Step by step

Decide what matters to you: choice of doctor, the room or both.
Choose between two-bed and single room; two-bed is much cheaper.
Pick a tariff with ageing reserves if you plan to stay in Germany long term.
Answer the health questions for recent years completely, including treatment abroad.
Compare benefits: fees up to 3.5 times the GOÄ rate and beyond, private clinics, cash instead of the room, cover abroad.

Checklist

Free choice of doctor and hospital
Doctors' fees at least up to 3.5 times the GOÄ rate
Ageing reserves if you want to keep the policy for decades
No waiting period after an accident
Private clinics included
Cash benefit if you do without the two-bed room
Cover outside Germany clarified

Common mistakes

Taking the cheapest tariff without reserves and having to cancel in old age
Signing only for the room when paying yourself would be cheaper
Leaving out pre-existing conditions, including those treated in your home country
Confusing a hospital daily allowance with supplementary hospital insurance

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

How much does supplementary hospital insurance cost a month?

Good tariffs with two-bed room and chief physician start at about EUR 31 in your early 30s and about EUR 49 in your early 50s.

Is it still worth it later in life?

Signing up gets more expensive with age, and many tariffs only accept new customers up to about 65. With pre-existing conditions you often get surcharges or exclusions.

Does it pay for childbirth?

Usually yes, often after a waiting period of eight months. Check this before signing if you are planning a child.

Can I get a two-bed room without insurance?

Yes, if one is free. You agree it on admission as an optional service (Wahlleistung) and pay the surcharge yourself.

Do I have to answer health questions?

Almost always, usually for the last five to ten years and including treatment abroad. Wrong answers can cost you your cover.

What if I leave Germany?

You can usually cancel with three months' notice to the end of the insurance year. Some insurers let you keep a dormant policy, ask before you move.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request a quote: Supplementary health

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Supplementary health insurance in Germany

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