Take Out Supplementary Insurance: What You Should Note

1. How do I find a suitable supplementary insurance?

A supplementary insurance complements mandatory basic insurance in areas it does not cover. For the conclusion, you submit an insurance application to the desired insurer.

2. How does the conclusion of a supplementary insurance work?

The process follows with all providers the same pattern: you send the completed health questionnaire to the insurer, which examines the application and decides on admission or rejection itself.

The processing period is:

• 14 days for the examination of the application
• Up to 4 weeks if an additional medical examination is necessary

Three reasons for a swift submission:

• Status protection: A new illness during examination does not influence the assessment.
• Early clarity: With a rejection, time remains for alternatives.
• Lower entry premium: Young and healthy persons pay lower premiums.

3. Switch supplementary insurance: what do I have to note?

You can terminate a current supplementary insurance at year-end. Before the switch, the contract duration and the notice periods of the previous policy are decisive. The minimum term is at most three years. With longer contract duration, you can terminate from the third year, even if the contract says otherwise.

The timing is critical for the switch: terminate the old supplementary insurance only after written acceptance confirmation of the new insurer. Otherwise a coverage gap or a double insurance with double premium payments threatens.

For a planned treatment, you should additionally note the waiting periods of the new policy. During this blocking period, the insurer covers no costs for foreseeable benefits such as maternity, dental corrections or expensive outpatient therapies.

4. Must I answer the health questions honestly?

In the application for a supplementary insurance, you take a health questionnaire with an extensive questionnaire. Complete and truthful information is mandatory (Art. 6 VVG disclosure obligation).

Typical questions in the health questionnaire:

• Height and weight
• Existing illnesses or complaints
• Operations in the last 5 to 10 years
• Regularly taken medications
• Therapy or physiotherapy treatments
• Incapacity for work in the last years

Anyone who fills out the questionnaire incompletely or incorrectly risks subsequent policy restrictions, benefit cuts or in the worst case even a retroactive termination of the contract by the insurer.

Unlike with basic insurance, the insurers may reject people with health risks or accept with policy restrictions. They do not have to justify their decision.

5. Can I take out a supplementary insurance with illness?

Whether the insurer admits you despite illness depends on your illness and on the chosen tariff. The insurers decide themselves and cannot guarantee admission.

Three possible results of the risk examination:

• Admission without policy restriction: The insurance protection applies from contract start without restrictions.
• Admission with policy restriction: The insurer accepts the application, but excludes certain complaints from insurance protection.
• Rejection: The insurer rejects the application completely. A rejection only applies to this one insurer, not at all providers.

You may inquire with several insurers simultaneously and thus increase your admission chances. An overview of sensible supplementary insurance shows which packages suit your life situation.

6. Can I prevent a rejection of the supplementary insurance?

You cannot prevent a rejection with certainty. You increase your admission chances, however, with timely application and the suitable choice of the insurance model.

Three strategies for higher admission chances:

• Conclude in young years: You have higher acceptance chances and pay lower entry premiums.
• Conclude before documented diagnosis: Policy restrictions and rejections are rarer as long as no diagnosis exists.
• Inquire with several providers simultaneously: Every insurer assesses the risks differently.

For a hospital supplementary insurance, the Flex models are often less strict than full insurance products and offer an alternative with strict risk examination.

7. Can I take out a supplementary insurance for babies and children?

Young and healthy persons usually meet the admission criteria without problem. Babies and children are also usually admitted without policy restrictions.

With a prenatal registration, many insurers even waive health questions and medical certificates. This way you have insurance protection from birth, independent of the health condition of your child.

This article was first published on 14/02/2026