A Better Route Than Switching Insurer
If your PKV premium has grown uncomfortable, the first move is usually not to change insurer but to change tariff within your existing one. German law (Section 204 VVG) gives you the right to switch to another tariff with your insurer that has comparable benefits, keeping the ageing reserves you have built. Done well, this can lower the premium while preserving what makes your cover valuable.
How Optimisation Works
- Your reserves stay: switching tariff within the insurer keeps your ageing reserves, unlike leaving for a new insurer.
- Comparable benefits: you can move to a tariff with equivalent cover, so you are not forced to lose protection to save money.
- No new health assessment for equivalent cover: moving to comparable or lesser benefits does not require fresh underwriting, though adding benefits can.
- The insurer must inform you: insurers are required to point out suitable alternative tariffs on request.
Reserves are the reason to stay: the ageing reserves in your current tariff are worth real money. Optimising within your insurer keeps them, which is why it usually beats switching insurer purely to chase a lower premium.
Getting It Done Properly
Ask your insurer for suitable alternative tariffs under Section 204, and compare the benefits carefully so you understand exactly what changes. Independent tariff-optimisation advice can help you find the best internal option and avoid quietly dropping cover you rely on. Be wary of services that charge a large fee for what your insurer must help you do on request, and make sure any move preserves the benefits that matter to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Compare PKV Tariffs for Your Situation
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