# Insurance for private clinics, day clinics and hospitals in Germany

> In a clinic a single treatment error can lead to claims lasting a whole lifetime, alongside medical equipment worth millions and IT without which no theatre schedule runs. Liability premiums for hospitals with obstetrics and surgical specialties have been rising for years, and not every insurer still writes them. This page sets out what matters and what you should expect to pay.

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

## Why are our liability premiums rising when we hardly have any claims?

Because individual large claims shape the whole line of business. A birth injury with lifelong care easily costs several million euros today, and claims are often made years later. Insurers therefore calculate cautiously, and few of them offer cover. What helps: documented risk management, a well reasoned deductible and a broker who approaches several insurers.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No uniform national insurance duty for the hospital operator; some state hospital acts and medical chambers require adequate liability cover. Doctors under statutory health insurance contracts, including in medical care centres (MVZ) and attached practices, need at least 3 million euros under § 95e of Book V of the Social Code (SGB V), and 5 million euros per claim if they employ doctors
- **Biggest risk:** Treatment errors with severe permanent harm, above all in obstetrics, surgery and anaesthesia
- **Basic cover from:** day clinics without surgical specialties from around 5,000 euros a year, surgical private clinics usually five or six figures
- **Statutory accident insurer:** BGW (the Berufsgenossenschaft for health and welfare) for private and non-profit hospitals, the accident funds (Unfallkassen) for municipal clinics
- **Often forgotten:** Attending and freelance doctors: for every doctor it must be clear whose policy covers them
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 86.10 Krankenhäuser, 86.94 Krankenpflege, Geburtshilfe und Hebammen

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Treatment errors:** Mistakes in surgery, diagnosis or anaesthesia lead to damages for pain and suffering, loss of earnings and care costs. Severe cases reach seven figures.
- **Obstetrics:** Lack of oxygen during birth is the most expensive single claim in healthcare. Hospitals with maternity units therefore pay far more.
- **Hygiene:** Hospital-acquired infections and outbreaks trigger claims, ward closures and admission stops.
- **Medical equipment:** MRI, CT, operating theatres and sterilisation cost millions. Water damage or a power surge can shut down entire departments.
- **Cyber attacks:** Hospitals are targeted deliberately. Without the hospital information system, emergency departments stop taking ambulances and operations are postponed.
- **Staff and consent:** Incomplete consent forms, shift handovers and staff shortages are frequent causes that courts attribute to the hospital.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Hospital liability cover protects against treatment errors by all employed doctors and nurses and against injury and property damage on the premises. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Essential): An IT outage endangers patients and revenue; cyber cover pays for forensics, recovery, reporting duties and lost income. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): Insures large devices and medical equipment against breakage, water, power surges and operating errors. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Commercial buildings** (Strongly advised): Protects buildings and technical installations against fire, escape of water, storm and natural hazards. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-commercial-buildings.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): Pays lost revenue and extra costs when wards or theatres are closed after property damage. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **D&O insurance** (Strongly advised): Managing directors and supervisory board members are personally liable for the organisation, IT security and finances of the hospital. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-directors-and-officers.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Depends on the business): For emergency power, air conditioning, medical gases and lifts against machinery breakdown. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php
- **Company pension (bAV)** (Depends on the business): Helps retain doctors and nurses and adds to the pension schemes set by collective agreements. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-company-pension.php

## What it costs: example prices

Clinics are priced individually. What counts are the specialties, the number of beds and procedures, obstetrics, the claims history, risk management and the size of the deductible.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Day clinic without surgical specialties, about 20 places | around 5,000 to 20,000 euros a year |
| Business liability | Surgical private clinic with about 20 beds, no obstetrics | around 40,000 to 150,000 euros a year |
| Electronic equipment | Medical equipment worth 3 million euros | around 9,000 to 25,000 euros a year |
| Cyber insurance | Private clinic with hospital information system, 2 million euros cover | around 8,000 to 30,000 euros a year |
| D&O insurance | Management of a clinic GmbH, 5 million euros cover | around 3,000 to 10,000 euros a year |

For comparison: Liability cover for a small surgical private clinic costs about as much a year as the revenue from five to twenty hip replacement operations.

_Rough guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026, from our own quoting experience; there are no published tariff examples for clinics. The ranges are deliberately wide because specialty and claims history can multiply the premium. We obtain the exact quote for you._

- [§ 95e SGB V: Berufshaftpflicht der Vertragsärzte](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_5/__95e.html)
- [Finanzchef24: Versicherung für Ärzte](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/arzt)
- [Finanzchef24: Versicherungen für Heilwesen und Pflege](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/heilwesen-pflegebranche)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Day clinic** (Day clinic or outpatient centre without overnight stays): Business liability, Electronic equipment, Cyber insurance. Together: around 10,000 to 35,000 euros a year
- **Private clinic** (Surgical private clinic with beds and its own equipment): Business liability, Electronic equipment, Business interruption, Cyber insurance, D&O insurance. Together: from around 60,000 euros a year, calculated individually
- **Hospital** (Hospital with its own building, emergency department and several specialist departments): Business liability, Commercial buildings, Electronic equipment, Machinery breakdown, Business interruption, Cyber insurance, D&O insurance. Together: individual, often six or seven figures

## The worst day in a clinic

Six things that really happen in clinics, all on a single day. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 02:30: The hospital information system is encrypted by ransomware. The emergency department stops taking patients and planned operations are cancelled. (€900,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 07:45: After knee surgery a patient develops a severe infection and accuses the hospital of poor hygiene. (€120,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 10:10: A patient falls out of bed at night; the bed rails had not been raised despite instructions. (€35,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 13:00: A water pipe above the CT scanner bursts. The machine cannot be saved. (€650,000, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 15:30: Until the replacement is installed, you send patients to other hospitals and rent a mobile CT unit. (€180,000, Paid by: Business interruption)
- 18:20: A patient sues over a treatment error in an operation four years ago: permanent nerve damage. (€400,000, Paid by: Business liability)

**Damage so far:** €2,285,000

## Practical tips from your broker

- Choose sums insured that match your specialties; with obstetrics and neurosurgery, 10 million euros per claim and more is usual.
- Clarify in writing which policy covers attending, freelance and consulting doctors.
- Document your clinical risk management with an incident reporting system and hygiene reports; it noticeably improves the terms you are offered.
- Consider a higher deductible if you can settle many small cases yourself; this often lowers the premium considerably.
- Link electronics and business interruption cover so that rented equipment and patient transfers after a machine failure are paid too.
- For cyber, look for business interruption cover with a long enough indemnity period and a crisis service that runs around the clock.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We approach the whole market:** Only a few insurers write clinics. As a broker we prepare your documents and collect several quotes instead of simply renewing with one insurer.
- **We know claims handling from the inside:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves. We know how deductibles, claims settlement authority and claims management work together.
- **Equipment, liability and interruption aligned:** We make sure that liability, medical equipment, buildings and cyber cover fit together without gaps.
- **Family business since 1989:** No cost to you, as the insurer pays our commission. Management and administration have fixed contacts.

## FAQ

### Is liability cover compulsory for clinics in Germany?

There is no uniform national duty for the operator, but some state laws and licences require it. Doctors under statutory health insurance contracts, medical care centres and attending doctors must be insured under § 95e SGB V.

### What does hospital liability insurance cost?

Day clinics without surgical specialties start at around 5,000 euros a year. Surgical private clinics usually pay five or six figures, with obstetrics much more.

### Are employed doctors covered by the clinic?

Yes, for their work in the hospital. For side jobs, expert reports and emergency doctor shifts outside, they often need their own professional indemnity.

### What sum applies to a medical care centre (MVZ)?

Under § 95e SGB V at least 5 million euros for bodily injury and property damage per claim, capped at three times that amount per year. For individual contract doctors it is 3 million euros.

### How can we lower the liability premium?

With documented risk management, a suitable deductible and a tender to several insurers. A good claims history over several years is the strongest argument.

### Does cyber insurance also pay for lost revenue?

If business interruption is included, yes. Check the indemnity period and the waiting period, which is often set too long for clinics.

## 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-hospital-clinic.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.