Germans are taking out more and more supplementary health insurance. Because their number has also increased in 2021. A total of 28.4 million additional policies have been taken out by German citizens with private insurers. Compared to the previous year, this means an increase of 3.5 percent or around one million contracts. In 2009 there were still 21.48 million and thus a good 6.3 million fewer policies. This is the result of figures from the private health insurance association.
Dental supplement policies play an important part in the good sales figures. In 2021, too, the circle of insured persons could be increased. Around 787,000 new customers were won in this way. That is an increase of 4.62 percent. Accordingly, there are currently a good 17.83 million contracts.
At the end of 2020, around 16.9 million Germans still had such an additional policy. In the past decade alone, the total number of contracts has grown by around 4.3 million or 30.9 percent. The data includes both individual and group tariffs. In general, the number of contracts concluded does not have to be identical to the number of insured persons. Because a policyholder can also have concluded several contracts.
“Dental tariffs have been one of the most popular private supplementary insurances for years. This shows us how strong the desire of many people insured in statutory health insurance is to have additional insurance. The trend towards more personal provision is continuing,” says Florian Reuther, director of the private health insurance association.
Since October 1, 2020, people with statutory health insurance have received a higher subsidy from the health insurance company if one or more teeth have to be replaced. If the subsidy for the so-called standard care was previously 50 percent, it will be increased to 60 percent. The subsidy increases if the patient can show a well-maintained bonus booklet: from 60 to 70 percent for a bonus booklet that has been kept for five years and from 65 to 75 percent for a bonus booklet that has been kept for ten years and shows annual check-ups .
Standard care is the basic care agreed by statutory health insurance companies, which covers all necessary services – from single tooth gaps to full dentures. But the subsidy is actually calculated on the basis of cost-effective solutions. Dentures are quite expensive. Depending on the federal state, those with statutory health insurance have to pay around 1,000 euros out of their own pocket for dentures. With a higher-quality supply, the own contribution increases even further.
