Priced Per Person
Unlike statutory cover, PKV has no free family insurance. Each adult and each child is a separate policy with its own premium based on age, health and tariff. For a couple that means two premiums, and each child adds its own, so the family budget is the sum of individual policies rather than a single household rate.
Where the Costs Stack
- Both adults in PKV: two full premiums, each rising over time on its own reserve.
- Children: children’s premiums are lower but real, and there is no free family cover as in GKV.
- Sole earner: if one partner does not work, their premium still has to be met from the household income.
- Retirement: two premiums continue into retirement, so plan for both.
The family question, not the individual one: PKV can be excellent value for a healthy high-earning couple with few children, and expensive for a single earner with several children. Do the maths for your actual household, not a generic case.
Mixed Setups
Families are not all-or-nothing. Where one partner is in GKV, children can often be insured there, which can be the more economical route for a larger family. Where both partners earn well and are in PKV, private children’s cover buys the same benefits for them. The right structure depends on who earns, how many children there are, and each person’s health. Model your own household’s numbers across working life and into retirement before fixing the structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
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