Stiftung Warentest: Two-Thirds of Private Health Insurance Plans Fall Short

A comprehensive review reveals that many private health insurance tariffs offer less coverage than statutory options, despite higher costs.

Stiftung Warentest evaluated 1,245 private health insurance tariff combinations, finding only 384 met their criteria for better coverage than statutory insurance with reasonable self-pay limits.
Two-thirds of private health insurance plans had significant coverage gaps, particularly in areas like palliative care, psychotherapy, and dental or digital health services.
Private health insurance patients benefit from faster access to specialist appointments, with 58% securing appointments within a month compared to 30% of statutory insurance patients.
Premiums for private insurance can rise significantly with age, potentially becoming unaffordable for retirees without substantial financial planning.
While some private plans offer superior benefits in areas like hospital stays and dental care, the cost differences between similar-rated plans can reach up to €400 monthly.