Supplementary Insurance

Hospital Supplementary Insurance

Essential treatment is covered. But comfort, consultant access, and planning certainty are not. This is what hospital supplementary insurance changes.

What statutory insurance covers in hospital — and what it doesn't

Germany's statutory health insurance (GKV) covers all medically necessary hospital treatment. This means:

  • You receive adequate medical care — nursing, medication, diagnostics
  • You are treated in a multi-bed room (Mehrbettzimmer)
  • You are treated by the attending physician on duty — not necessarily the department head or consultant

What GKV does not cover:

  • Treatment by the chief physician or consultant (Chefarztbehandlung / privatärztliche Behandlung)
  • One-bed or two-bed room — any room upgrade is out of pocket
  • Free hospital choice — if you want a different hospital than the one on your referral, GKV may not cover the difference
  • Comfort services — TV, internet, premium meal options

Hospital supplementary insurance doesn't replace your GKV hospital benefits. It adds the elements that GKV considers non-essential — but that many patients consider critical for recovery and peace of mind.

What hospital supplementary insurance covers

Consultant / Chief physician treatment

You are treated by the department head or a chosen specialist — not just the attending doctor on duty. This includes billing above standard fee schedule rates where medically necessary.

Private room selection

One-bed or two-bed room depending on your tariff. More privacy, better rest, and the option of a family room after birth (in one-bed tariffs).

Free hospital choice

Choose a hospital other than the one on your referral, provided it has a care contract (Versorgungsvertrag) with the statutory system. If the alternative hospital is more expensive, the cost difference for standard services is covered.

Comfort services

TV and internet surcharges, premium meal options, and other comfort amenities that standard GKV hospital coverage does not include.

MedKlinik tariffs

The hospital supplementary range includes four tariff variants combining room type and premium structure:

1-Bett S 1-Bett L 2-Bett S 2-Bett L
Room type One-bed room Two-bed room
Consultant treatment ✓ Included in all tariffs
Free hospital choice ✓ Included in all tariffs
Comfort services ✓ TV, internet, premium meal surcharges
Daily hospital cash €60/day
(children/adolescents: half rate)		 €30/day
(children/adolescents: half rate)
Rooming-in (child up to 12) ✓ Included in all tariffs
Family room after birth ✓ (as one-bed room) Cost coverage up to two-bed level
Aging reserves — ✓ From start — ✓ From start
Premium structure Steps at 16, 21, 31, 45
Auto-upgrade to L at 45		 Steps at 16, 21
Stable thereafter		 Steps at 16, 21, 31, 45
Auto-upgrade to L at 45		 Steps at 16, 21
Stable thereafter

S-tariffs have lower initial premiums with age-step adjustments. At age 45, S-tariff holders are automatically upgraded to the corresponding L-tariff (which includes aging reserves), ensuring long-term premium stability. You can also switch from S to L earlier — without waiting periods or new health assessment after the 2nd or 5th insurance year.

Representative premium examples

Monthly premiums depend on age at entry and tariff variant. The following examples are from the 2026 rate table:

Entry age 2-Bett S 2-Bett L 1-Bett S 1-Bett L
Child (0–15) €4.31 €4.31 €4.86 €4.86
Age 25 €10.43 €27.38 €15.97 €41.78
Age 35 €14.93 €32.43 €22.61 €49.59
Age 45 —* €39.48 —* €60.41

* S-tariffs auto-upgrade to L at age 45 — no separate S pricing exists above that age. Premiums as of January 2026. L-tariffs include aging reserves; after age 21, no further age-related premium increases apply.

Additional details

  • No general waiting periods for hospital benefits. Special waiting periods of 8 months apply to birth and inpatient psychotherapy.
  • Billing above fee schedule: Where medically necessary, consultant billing above the standard fee schedule rates is covered
  • Hospital transfer service: Transfer to a preferred hospital at least 50 km away, if at least 7 days of stay remain and GKV has approved treatment there
  • Coverage in Europe: Consultant treatment and room upgrade also apply in European hospitals. Outside Europe: coverage during trips up to 3 months
  • Tariff upgrade possible: Switch from 2-bed to 1-bed tariff at any time. After the 2nd or 5th insurance year: without health assessment and without new waiting periods
  • Substitute daily cash (Ersatz-KHT): If you do not use your insured room upgrade or consultant treatment during a hospital stay, MedKlinik tariffs pay a substitute daily cash benefit instead — your insurance still delivers value even when Wahlleistungen are waived

Who hospital supplementary insurance is especially relevant for

People who value comfort and privacy

A one-bed or two-bed room makes a significant difference during longer stays — better sleep, more control, and less stress.

Professionals who want planning certainty

Consultant treatment and free hospital choice give you more control over timing, treatment quality, and provider selection.

Parents

Rooming-in for children up to 12, family rooms after birth, and the confidence that your child is treated by a consultant — not just whoever is on duty.

Frequently asked questions

What does public insurance usually cover in hospital?

GKV covers all medically necessary hospital treatment: nursing, diagnostics, medication, surgery, and accommodation in a multi-bed room. Treatment is provided by the attending physician on duty. This is sufficient for medical outcomes — but offers no say in who treats you, where you stay, or under what conditions.

What does hospital supplementary insurance actually change?

It adds three dimensions that GKV explicitly excludes: (1) treatment by the chief physician or chosen consultant, (2) accommodation in a one-bed or two-bed room instead of a multi-bed room, and (3) free hospital choice — allowing you to choose a hospital other than the one on your referral, with the cost difference covered. It also adds comfort services and daily hospital cash benefits.

Does this mean access to any private hospital?

No. The free hospital choice benefit requires that the chosen hospital has a care contract (Versorgungsvertrag) with the statutory health insurance system. Pure private clinics without such a contract are excluded — the supplementary insurance covers cost differences only where GKV also provides the general hospital services. Within this network, however, you have full choice of hospital.

Is a one-bed room always included?

Only in the MedKlinik 1-Bett tariffs (S or L). The MedKlinik 2-Bett tariffs cover a two-bed room. You can upgrade from a 2-Bett to a 1-Bett tariff at any time — and after the 2nd or 5th insurance year, this switch is possible without a new health assessment or waiting period.

Are there waiting periods?

MedKlinik tariffs have no general waiting periods — hospital benefits are available from the start. Special waiting periods of 8 months apply to birth and inpatient psychotherapy. These do not apply in case of accident.

Is MedKlinik the only hospital supplementary product?

The tariff architecture also includes legacy hospital tariffs (261/262), which remain technically available and priced in the current rate tables. However, these older tariffs differ structurally — for example, they include waiting periods (3 months general, 8 months for birth/psychotherapy), do not include Rooming-in or comfort services, and use a different substitute daily cash model. The currently active customer-facing hospital product range is centered on MedKlinik. A consultation can clarify whether a legacy tariff may be relevant in your specific situation.

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