A Surcharge Instead of a No
When the health assessment shows a raised risk, an insurer has three broad responses: accept at standard terms, decline, or accept with a Risikozuschlag, a premium surcharge that prices the extra risk. The surcharge is often the middle path that lets someone with a manageable condition still get comprehensive cover.
How It Is Set
- Based on the condition: the surcharge reflects the assessed extra risk from your declared history.
- Expressed as an addition: usually a percentage or fixed amount added to the tariff premium.
- Set at entry: the assessment happens when you apply, on the history you declare.
- Sometimes an exclusion instead: for some conditions an insurer may exclude a specific area rather than add a surcharge.
Shop the risk: insurers assess the same condition differently. A broker who knows which insurers are comfortable with your profile can make the difference between a heavy surcharge, a light one and a clean acceptance.
Can It Be Removed Later?
A surcharge set for a condition that later resolves can sometimes be reviewed, so if your health improves it is worth asking the insurer to reassess. The surcharge is separate from the general premium increases that affect all policyholders. What matters most is getting the assessment right at the start: declare everything honestly, and use a broker to place the application where the risk is viewed most favourably, because that is when the terms are decided.
Frequently Asked Questions
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