# Insurance for self-employed midwives and birth centres in Germany

> Few jobs carry so much responsibility for two people at once. A birth injury can lead to treatment and care costs for a whole lifetime, which is why professional indemnity is compulsory for midwives and expensive if you attend births. This page explains what it costs, what the German health insurers pay back and which other cover you need.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-midwife.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## How much of my liability premium do the health insurers pay back?

For midwives who attend births, a special supplement from the health insurers (Sicherstellungszuschlag) offsets most of the premium. According to industry reports, it recently covered more than 90 percent under the group contract of the German Midwives Association, provided you attend enough births and apply on time. Without birth attendance there is no supplement, but the premium is far lower.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** Professional indemnity under the professional codes of the federal states, and a condition for billing the statutory health insurers
- **Biggest risk:** Birth injuries to the child that cause lifelong treatment and care costs
- **Basic cover from:** a few hundred euros a year without birth attendance; with birth attendance around 13,000 to 14,000 euros, most of which the health insurers refund
- **Statutory accident insurer:** BGW (the Berufsgenossenschaft for health and welfare); self-employed midwives can join voluntarily for cover against accidents at work and on the way to work
- **Often forgotten:** The car: postnatal home visits mean many miles, and a breakdown costs visits and income

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Birth injury:** Lack of oxygen during labour or a complication spotted too late can harm a child permanently. Claims run into millions.
- **Postnatal period:** A missed infection, jaundice in the newborn or feeding problems with consequences lead to accusations against the midwife.
- **Home visits:** In someone else's home a changing table tips over or a device damages the furniture. That is a liability claim too.
- **Always on the road:** Postnatal visits in all weathers and on call at night: the car is both workplace and risk.
- **Nights and backs:** On-call duty, shifts and physical work often lead to exhaustion and back problems that can end a career.
- **Records:** In a dispute, what counts is what was written down. Gaps in the birth report are held against the midwife in court.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 5, Fire and water 1, Theft 2, Cyber 2, Downtime 3, Health 4

## The insurance you need

- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Required by the professional code and for billing the health insurers; covers injury to mother and child up to millions. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Car insurance** (Essential): Motor liability is compulsory for every vehicle; for home visits also consider comprehensive cover and breakdown cover with a replacement car. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-car-insurance.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): Protects your income if your back, exhaustion or an infection make bedside work impossible. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Accident insurance** (Strongly advised): Pays for permanent injury after an accident, including in your free time, where the BGW does not pay. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Strongly advised): For professional disciplinary cases, disputes with health insurers and criminal proceedings after a birth injury; often very cheap through professional associations. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Business contents** (Depends on the business): For practice or course rooms and birth centres: furniture, CTG monitor and course materials against fire, water and burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Depends on the business): For the CTG, Doppler and laptop that travel on home visits and are easily dropped or stolen. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php

## What it costs: example prices

Professional indemnity depends almost entirely on whether you attend births. Most self-employed midwives insure through the group contracts of their professional associations.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional indemnity | Self-employed with birth attendance, group contract of the professional association | around 13,000 to 14,000 euros a year, mostly refunded by the health insurers |
| Professional indemnity | Self-employed without birth attendance, antenatal and postnatal care, courses | around 400 to 1,200 euros a year |
| Business legal expenses | Professional legal expenses cover through the association | around 20 to 50 euros a year |
| Occupational disability | Monthly benefit of 1,500 euros, entry age 30 | around 900 to 1,800 euros a year |
| Car insurance | Small car with comprehensive cover, many home visits | around 450 to 900 euros a year |

For comparison: Liability cover without birth attendance costs about as much a year as ten to twenty postnatal home visits.

_Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. The figures for birth attendance are based on published numbers for the group contract of the German Midwives Association, the rest on association information and our own quoting experience. We obtain the exact quote for you._

- [DAS INVESTMENT: Haftpflicht für Hebammen wird teurer](https://www.dasinvestment.com/fuer-diese-hebammen-wird-die-haftpflichtversicherung-teuer/)
- [Deutscher Hebammenverband: verbesserte Haftpflichtbedingungen](https://hebammenverband.de/verbesserte-haftpflichtbedingungen)
- [hevianna Versicherungsdienst: Haftpflicht für Hebammen](https://www.hevianna-versicherungsdienst.de/produkte/haftpflicht/)
- [doctari: Versicherungen für freiberufliche Hebammen](https://www.doctari.de/magazin/karriere-pflegekraft/tipps/versicherungen-fur-hebammen/)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Antenatal and postnatal** (Self-employed midwife without birth attendance, with home visits and courses): Professional indemnity, Business legal expenses, Car insurance. Together: around 900 to 2,100 euros a year
- **Birth attendance** (Attached hospital midwife (Beleghebamme) or home births with on-call duty): Professional indemnity, Business legal expenses, Car insurance, Occupational disability. Together: around 15,000 to 17,000 euros a year, most of it refunded
- **Practice** (Midwifery practice or birth centre with rooms, equipment and colleagues): Professional indemnity, Business legal expenses, Business contents, Electronic equipment, Accident insurance. Together: individual, depending on birth attendance and the number of midwives

## A midwife's worst day

Six things that really happen to midwives, all in one long day on call. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 03:20: At a home birth the baby's heart rate drops and the transfer to hospital takes too long. The child suffers permanent harm. (€2,500,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 08:30: On the way to the first postnatal visit you skid on a wet road into the crash barrier. (€7,500, Paid by: Car insurance)
- 10:45: Your baby scales tip over during weighing and break the family's glass table. (€900, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 13:10: The CTG monitor falls out of your bag onto the stairs. (€3,500, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 16:00: The public prosecutor opens an investigation into the night. You need a lawyer specialising in medical criminal law. (€6,000, Paid by: Business legal expenses)
- 21:30: Carrying the birth bag, you twist your ankle on the cellar stairs. Torn ligament, six weeks without home visits. (€4,000, Paid by: Accident insurance)

**Damage so far:** €2,521,900

## Practical tips from your broker

- Apply for the health insurers' supplement on time; without an application you carry the full birth attendance premium yourself.
- When switching between birth attendance and postnatal care, change the tariff in good time so there is neither a gap nor an overpriced premium.
- Pay attention to run-off cover: claims for birth injuries can be made many years later.
- Document every birth fully and promptly; in a dispute that is your most important defence.
- Take out income protection early, while your back and health show no pre-existing conditions.
- Use the low-cost association contracts for legal expenses and personal liability, and let us compare your other policies alongside them.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We put the association contract in context:** Your liability cover usually comes through your professional association. As a broker we compare what is missing beyond it: car, income protection, accident and practice.
- **We know claims from the inside:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves. We know how much a clean claim report matters and we support you through it.
- **One contact for work and family:** Car, health, pension and home contents are handled with you in one place, even if you are on call at night and short of time by day.
- **Family business since 1989:** Free of charge for you, as the insurer pays our commission. You reach people who know your policies.

## FAQ

### Is professional indemnity compulsory for midwives in Germany?

Yes. The professional codes of the federal states require it, and without proof of cover you cannot bill the health insurers.

### What does liability cover with birth attendance cost?

Under the group contract of the German Midwives Association it was around 13,300 euros a year in 2025/26. The health insurers offset most of it through the supplement.

### And without birth attendance?

Without birth attendance the cover costs a few hundred euros a year, because severe birth injuries do not need to be insured. The premium stays stable under the current group contract.

### How high is the sum insured?

Under the German Midwives Association's group contract, 15 million euros per claim and 25 million euros per midwife per year. Further improvements have been announced for new contracts from July 2027.

### Am I insured as an employed midwife in a hospital?

For your hospital work, through the hospital's liability insurance. If you also work on a self-employed basis, you need your own professional indemnity for that.

### What insurance do I need besides liability?

Important are motor insurance with breakdown cover, income protection, accident cover and professional legal expenses cover. With your own rooms, contents and electronics insurance come on top.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-midwife.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.