Co-insurance

Though more common in the USA, some health insurance providers in Europe also offer co-insurance plans.

Co-insurance is a portion of medical bills you agree to pay once your deductible has been met

You need to know whether your health insurance policy includes co-insurance payments before you sign up, so you can factor the cost into your final decision. Although co-insurance plans are often subject to lower premiums, this payment structure does not suit everyone.

In a conventional co-insurance plan, policyholders pay medical bills up to their annual deductible, at which point their health insurance kicks in to cover a high percentage of medical costs above this amount. The portion of the costs not covered by health insurance is known as co-insurance and must paid by the policyholder.

It is important to note that not all health insurance policies include co-insurance. At ottonova, for example, our policies do not include co-insurance payments.

Instead, our policies feature a choice of percentage-based deductibles that enable policyholders to contribute a portion of their medical bills up to an annual limit. Only paying a portion of medical bills is good for your bank balance and prevents financial concerns from forcing you to forgo treatment.

FAQ

We are happy to schedule a call to find out your personal needs and provide you with an initial quote. We will then help you and guide you through our online enrollment.

In the next step you will speak with our medical underwriters regarding health topics and your financial situation. If you have already been insured in Germany for the last three years, we will then provide you with your finalized offer. Otherwise we will organize a medical check-up for you.

We work with a company called Medicals Direct that will send a private (English-speaking) nurse to come meet you at your preferred location. They will do a general check up and take a blood sample.

Minimum contract period is two calendar years (from the month you started till the rest of the calendar year + the next calendar year), but if you leave the country earlier, then you simply submit your deregistration certificate. We will close your contract and wish you the best of luck on your journey! If you are having a status change and become mandated to be in the public insurance, this also prevails over the minimum contract time with us.

After the minimum contract runtime, you have the option to cancel 3 months before the end of the calendar year (September). Please provide us with proof of a new insurance policy by the beginning of the coming year, as this is required in Germany.

You can claim a part of the costs for private health insurance as ‘Vorsorgeaufwendungen’ expenses in your tax return, this is what the Citizen Relief Act (Bürgerentlastungsgesetz) has been saying since 2010, namely the part that is considered basic coverage. We certify how high this portion is each year and you do not have to calculate it yourself. The basic share corresponds to the benefits of the public health insurance.

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