What Is an Anwartschaft?
An Anwartschaftsversicherung ("expectancy insurance") is a low-cost holding arrangement that keeps your private health insurance (private Krankenversicherung, PKV) rights alive during a period when you do not need active cover. Instead of cancelling your policy entirely — and risking a fresh health assessment and a higher entry age later — you pay a reduced premium to reserve your place.
This matters because PKV premiums and acceptance depend on two things you cannot get back once lost: your age at entry and your health status at acceptance. An Anwartschaft protects both.
When it helps: moving abroad temporarily, taking a posting outside Germany, switching to statutory insurance (GKV) for a while, or any gap where you expect to return to PKV later and want to keep your original terms.
Small vs Large Anwartschaft
There are two forms, and the difference is important:
- Small Anwartschaft (kleine Anwartschaft) — preserves your entry age and the health acceptance you already have, so no new Gesundheitspruefung is required when you reactivate. It does not continue building your ageing reserve. The cheapest option.
- Large Anwartschaft (grosse Anwartschaft) — does everything the small version does and keeps building your ageing reserve (Alterungsrueckstellung), so your premium on return is cushioned against age. It costs more because you are still funding the reserve.
| Preserves | Small | Large |
|---|---|---|
| Entry age | Yes | Yes |
| Health acceptance (no new check) | Yes | Yes |
| Ageing reserve growth | No | Yes |
| Monthly cost | Low | Higher |
What Does It Cost?
A small Anwartschaft often costs only a modest fixed amount per month — far less than full cover — because you are simply paying to hold your rights. A large Anwartschaft typically costs a percentage of your normal premium, reflecting the continued reserve contributions. The right choice depends on how long the gap will be and how much you care about premium stability on return.
Anwartschaft vs Cancelling
Cancelling your PKV outright may feel cheaper in the moment, but reapplying later means a new health declaration — and any conditions you have developed in the meantime could raise your premium, trigger exclusions, or even lead to rejection. You would also re-enter at an older age, permanently increasing your premium. For anyone who realistically expects to return to PKV, an Anwartschaft is usually the smarter, safer path.
How to Set One Up
Contact your insurer before your cover lapses and ask to convert the policy to an Anwartschaft, specifying small or large. Confirm the reactivation conditions in writing — particularly that no new health assessment will be required — and keep the documentation. When you return to Germany or leave GKV, a simple notice reactivates full cover on your original terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
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