Supplementary health and dental insurance - these insurances make sense for doctors as well as patients

The ceramic crown and the single room in the hospital have one thing in common: You have to pay for these services yourself. As a rule, there is no contribution from the health insurance fund. Many patients therefore take out supplementary health and dental insurance to reduce the financial risk. This extra protection enjoys great popularity. In 2020, for example, 16.9 million Germans already had supplementary dental insurance. The market has been booming for several years and there is no sign of demand slowing down - also due to the corona crisis. But what do these supplementary insurances really offer and what benefits are covered by the policies?

What supplementary health and dental insurance plans provide

Necessary medical or dental services that are "adequate, appropriate and economical" according to the German Social Code are covered by the statutory health insurance funds. If the standard care is not sufficient for you or your SHI patients, further services must be (co-)financed out of your own pocket - unless you have private supplementary insurance. These policies enable you to close cost gaps that exist between the reimbursement by the health insurance fund and the invoice amount.

What benefits does the supplementary insurance pay?

Supplemental insurance is used by patients to help offset the costs associated with extra services. These are:

1. Services that are generally not covered by the health insurance funds
2. Services that are not covered in full by the health insurance fund but are subsidized
3. Services covered only in exceptions requiring justification

Private supplementary insurances offer different policies that include one or more benefit categories. Since the market is confusing, it is difficult for many to find the desired insurance right away.

These supplementary health and dental insurance plans are available

The range of supplementary insurance is large. However, there are particularly popular policies, which include:

• Supplementary hospital insurance
• Daily sickness benefits insurance
• Supplementary dental insurance
• Long-term care insurance
• Outpatient supplementary insurance
• Travel health insurance

However, before you take out any of these insurance policies, you should know what to look out for.

How private supplementary insurance works

You finance the extra protection for your health through monthly or annual premium fees. The amount depends on your age and your general state of health when you take out the policy.

As a general rule, older people and those with previous illnesses pay higher rates! Based on these criteria, insurers can also reject you as a customer, demand risk surcharges or exclude certain benefits altogether. There is no obligation to enroll - unlike in the case of statutory health insurance.

Moreover, the range of services offered by private insurers is not based on a legally regulated scope of services. Insurers are allowed to determine their range of services themselves. For patients, therefore, only the benefits agreed in the terms of the contract apply.

Special features of supplementary dental insurance

The current bill for your dental treatment will be higher and you would therefore like to take out additional insurance? Unfortunately, this will not help you to cover the costs. Ongoing treatments are generally not covered. Therefore, be sure to take out the supplementary policy before you start treatment!

Caution: According to many insurers, as soon as you as a physician advise your patients to undergo treatment, the treatment process already begins.

Beware of the waiting time

There is often a waiting period of several months before your insurance coverage takes effect. Particularly in the case of supplementary dental policies, patients sometimes have to wait up to eight months. However, not disclosing the treatment when taking out the policy is not an effective strategy. Many insurers check your details as soon as you apply for reimbursement. What many don't know: The benefits of supplemental insurance are also limited. Therefore, make sure you know how much the insurance will cover.

What does "complete protection" mean?

Despite the promise of "all-round" or "complete" protection, many providers limit their coverage of costs to fixed maximum amounts per year, especially for dental treatment. Before patients agree to privately financed treatment, they should consult their insurer.

Is the extra protection worth it for you?

Health is the highest good - for which many people are willing to pay extra. However, not every patient needs supplementary insurance. The statutory health insurers already offer comprehensive protection. So how do you determine whether supplementary insurance makes sense for you?

How to find out if supplemental insurance is right for you

The extra protection is not only a question of the individual feeling of safety, but for many also a question of cost. First consider: Could you bear the financial risk without insurance? If it would be difficult or even threatening for you to cover the costs privately, extra protection may be advisable.

However, the financial possibilities do not only play a role with regard to the risk of a lack of insurance coverage: Additional policies also cost money. While many are available for small amounts, others prove to be more expensive. Those who take out several insurance policies may end up paying more than they can afford.

Tip: Before you take out a policy, compare the offer with those of other providers. This way you can find out whether your preferred tariff really guarantees the protection you want. You can find comparison tests at Stiftung Warentest, for example.

What is your health risk?

Furthermore, you should ask yourself for which services an insurance really pays off. If you never go on vacation abroad, you don't need a corresponding policy. Because you will still pay for it, even if you don't use it. "A lot helps a lot" may provide psychological security, but it does not necessarily pay off.

These considerations also drive many physicians. After all, they are familiar with the advantages of private insurance from their day-to-day work.

The extra protection for doctors: does it make sense for you?

As for your patients, health insurance is essential for you as a physician. However, not everyone wants or is allowed to take out private insurance. A private supplementary insurance can therefore sensibly extend your insurance cover. After all, you know about the differences in benefits between private and statutory insurance.

However, the following also applies to physicians: Weigh the costs and benefits of the policies carefully and compare providers. There are often special, sometimes more favorable physician rates for physicians. A consultation with an independent insurance broker specifically tailored to academic medical professions may help you find the right supplementary health insurance.

Caution: Insurance policies are often complicated, even in the medical field, and insurance agents often do not provide independent advice.

Nelly facilitates the bureaucratic processing of additional services

As a doctor, you are not only familiar with additional services as tariff descriptions, but also from medical practice - with everything that goes with it. Because if patients want to make use of additional services in your practice, you need signatures and consents from them. And accounting processes follow after the treatment. You can use Nelly to simplify these steps! Thanks to Nelly, you can offer your patients modern payment options such as direct debit or credit card. You also save your practice team a lot of time when it comes to billing - on average 90 minutes per day.

Create a digital workflow in your practice now. We will advise you on your individual case free of charge and without obligation!

Contact Nelly now!

The personal designations used in this article always refer equally to all persons. For the sake of better readability, we do not use the same name twice or in the opposite gender.

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