Can you get private care insurance in Germany without a health check?
In short
Can you get private care insurance in Germany without a health check? Yes, in two ways: the state subsidised Pflege-Bahr, which must accept every adult not yet receiving care benefits, and group schemes through your employer. Pflege-Bahr costs from EUR 15 a month including the subsidy, but has up to five years waiting time and often only EUR 600 in care grade 5.
Premium and benefit examples from published tariff data and the law.
Example
Typical range
Pflege-Bahr, joining at 25
EUR 15 a month including subsidy, about EUR 918 in care grade 5
Pflege-Bahr, joining at 50
about EUR 23 a month including subsidy, EUR 600 in care grade 5
Legal minimum benefit of Pflege-Bahr
EUR 600 a month in care grade 5
Pflege-Bahr premiums from one published tariff example, as of October 2026.
Your premium depends on your entry age; we obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Age 52, type 2 diabetes, refused by normal policies
How the Pflege-Bahr route looks when no normal policy will accept you.
Pflege-Bahr premium including EUR 5 subsidy
about EUR 23 to 26 a month
Benefit in care grade 5
EUR 600 a month
Benefit in care grade 3 (often 30 percent)
about EUR 180 a month
Waiting time
up to 5 years, so benefits from age 57 at the earliest
For about EUR 20 of your own money a month you get a small but certain base. It only partly covers a care home gap of over EUR 3,000 a month.
What without a health check really means
With normal private care insurance (Pflegezusatzversicherung) the insurer asks about illnesses, treatment and medication in recent years. If you report diabetes, heart disease or a mental illness you are often refused or charged extra. Without a health check this questionnaire disappears completely.
The price is limits on benefits and waiting time. A policy that accepts everyone has to price in the ill as well. That is why private care insurance in Germany without a health check exists only in a few clearly regulated forms.
The routes compared
The table shows which kind of private care insurance you can get without health questions and where the limits are.
Route
Health questions
Main limit
Pflege-Bahr, state subsidised
none
up to 5 years waiting time, often only EUR 600 in care grade 5
Employer group scheme
none for basic cover
employees only, top ups usually need a check
Normal daily care allowance policy
yes, detailed
refusal or surcharge with pre-existing conditions
Already in need of care
not relevant
no new contract possible
Route 1: the subsidised Pflege-Bahr
The law requires insurers with a subsidised tariff to accept every adult in German statutory or private care insurance who is not receiving and has not received care benefits. Risk checks, surcharges and exclusions are banned. You pay at least EUR 10 a month and the state adds EUR 5.
Waiting time can be up to five years; some tariffs waive it after an accident. If you join at 50 you usually get only the legal minimum of EUR 600 in care grade 5. Our page on Pflege-Bahr explains the subsidy and who it suits.
Route 2: an employer group scheme
Some employers and whole industries take out company care insurance for all staff. Because the group is large, the insurer waives health questions for basic cover. Premium and benefits are set by each group contract, so ask your employer for the current figures.
Ask HR whether such a group scheme exists. Check what happens if you change jobs or retire, and whether top ups or cover for family members trigger health questions again.
Points to check as an international resident
Pflege-Bahr requires that you are insured in German statutory or private long-term care insurance. Some tariffs do not pay benefits for care abroad, so if you plan to retire outside Germany, check this before signing.
Group schemes are tied to your German employer. If you leave Germany, ask whether you can continue the cover privately and at what price.
Who should take the route without a health check
Care insurance without a health check is mainly useful for people with pre-existing conditions who cannot get a normal policy. For them Pflege-Bahr is often the only private care cover.
Healthy people nearly always do better with a normal policy: more benefit per euro, payouts in care grades 2 and 3, no long waiting time. You can combine both, for example Pflege-Bahr as a base and a normal policy on top.
Step by step
Check whether you already receive care benefits; if so, no contract is possible.
With pre-existing conditions, first ask whether a normal policy might still accept you.
Ask HR about a company care insurance group scheme.
Compare Pflege-Bahr tariffs on waiting time and benefits in care grades 2 and 3.
For normal policies answer all health questions fully and honestly.
Checklist
Adult and no care benefits received so far
Waiting time known and matched to your age
Benefit per care grade checked, not just grade 5
Employer asked about a group scheme
Rules for job change, retirement and moving abroad clarified
Common mistakes
Hiding illnesses on a normal application to avoid the health check
Treating Pflege-Bahr as full cover
Ignoring the waiting time of up to five years
Waiting until care need is foreseeable before applying
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Can I take out Pflege-Bahr at 70?
Yes, there is no upper age limit.
The premium is high, though, and the waiting time still applies.
What happens if I leave out an illness on a health questionnaire?
The insurer can withdraw from or contest the contract, and you get nothing when you need care.
Take the route without a check instead.
Can I get Pflege-Bahr after being refused elsewhere?
Yes, an earlier refusal does not matter as long as you are not receiving care benefits.
Does a group scheme cover my partner?
Family members can often be added, usually with health questions.
The group contract sets the rules.
Can I get Pflege-Bahr if I only have health insurance in my home country?
No.
You must be insured in German statutory or private long-term care insurance.
Are there policies with only a few health questions?
Yes, some ask only about a few serious illnesses.
That is not cover without a health check, but it can suit mild pre-existing conditions.
