{"id":2629,"date":"2026-04-20T09:22:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T07:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bramexplus.com\/?page_id=2629"},"modified":"2026-07-09T20:14:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T18:14:36","slug":"private-health-insurance-bills","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bramexplus.com\/en\/private-health-insurance-bills\/","title":{"rendered":"Bills and Reimbursements with Private Health Insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Managing your insurance \u00b7 Step by step<\/div>\n \n

How the system of bills and the app<\/span> works with private insurance<\/h2>\n \n

\n One of the most practical differences between public and private insurance is how payments to the doctor are handled. With private insurance, you get the bill at home, upload it to the app and the insurer reimburses you within a few days. Here's exactly how it works.\n <\/p>\n \n

\n View plans \u2192<\/a>\n Talk to an advisor<\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n
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\n 5\u201310 days<\/span>\n to receive the bill after the appointment<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n ~5 days<\/span>\n to receive the reimbursement in your account<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n 100% digital<\/span>\n managed from the insurer's app<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
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\n \"Requirements\n<\/div>\n
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\ud83d\udca1<\/div>\n
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You don't pay at the appointment<\/p>\n

With private insurance you get the bill by post and handle it from home, with no paperwork at the time of the visit.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n \n\n\n

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\n <\/span>\n The main difference\n <\/div>\n

Private insurance works differently from public insurance<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n\n
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In the German public system, the doctor bills the insurer directly. You show your health card and don't have to deal with anything else. The system is convenient, but it limits your visibility over what each treatment costs and what your insurance covers.<\/p>\n

In private insurance it works differently. You're the point of contact between the doctor and the insurer. The doctor sends the bill to you, you pay it and then you claim it back from your insurer, which reimburses the amount to your bank account in around five days.<\/p>\n

This system has an important advantage that isn't always mentioned: you have full control<\/strong> over which bills you submit and when. That lets you, for example, decide not to submit small bills in order to keep the no-claims bonus many private insurers offer.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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\ud83d\udca1 What changes in practice<\/div>\n

In the private system you need short-term liquidity<\/strong>: you pay the doctor's bill first and then recover that money from the insurer. It isn't an extra cost \u2014 it's a temporary gap of a few days that's worth bearing in mind from the start.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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\n <\/span>\n The full process\n <\/div>\n

How it works from the appointment to the reimbursement<\/h2>\n

The process is simpler than it seems. Once you've done it once, it becomes completely natural.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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1. You go to the appointment<\/h3>\n

You see the doctor or specialist with your private insurance card. You don't need to pay anything at the time of the visit. The doctor sees you and, once the appointment is over, prepares the bill.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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2. You receive the bill by post<\/h3>\n

Roughly 5 to 10 days after the visit, you'll receive the bill at home by post. It shows the breakdown of the treatment, the total amount and the payment deadline, which is usually two weeks to a month from receipt.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

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3. You photograph it and upload it to the app<\/h3>\n

Before paying the doctor, photograph the bill with your phone and upload it directly from the insurer's app. The process takes less than two minutes. The app is designed to be as quick as possible: open, photograph, send.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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4. The insurer reimburses you in ~5 days<\/h3>\n

Once the bill is processed, the insurer transfers the covered amount directly to your bank account. Usually within about five working days. In the app you can track the status of your claim in real time.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

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5. You pay the doctor with the money received<\/h3>\n

Once you have the reimbursement in your account, you make the transfer to the doctor. That closes the cycle. In practice, the doctor doesn't pressure you to pay immediately and the deadlines are wide enough for everything to fit together stress-free.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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\n <\/span>\n What changes with large bills\n <\/div>\n

What if the bill is very high? Hospital stays and operations<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n\n
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The 5-step process you've just seen works perfectly for appointments, tests and day-to-day treatments. But when it comes to a hospital stay, an operation or any high-cost treatment, the system works differently \u2014 and much more favourably for you.<\/p>\n

The idea that with private health insurance you always have to pay upfront is one of the most common misunderstandings. In reality, for higher-value treatments there are specific mechanisms that avoid exactly that.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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\ud83d\udca1 The peace of mind that matters<\/div>\n

In practice, nobody is paying 20,000 \u20ac out of their own pocket<\/strong> with no solution. The system is set up for higher-cost cases, and there's always a way to resolve it without it becoming an immediate financial problem.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

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The hospital bills the insurer directly<\/h3>\n

For hospital stays and operations, the most common arrangement is that the hospital doesn't bill you, but bills your private insurer directly. You sign the necessary documents on admission and don't have to pay anything upfront. The hospital and the insurer handle it between them.<\/p>\n

It's the most common option for hospital treatments. No upfront outlay on your part.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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\ud83d\udce4<\/div>\n

You can submit the bill before paying it<\/h3>\n

If you receive a high-value bill, you don't have to pay it before receiving the reimbursement. You can send it to the insurer as soon as you get it and wait for them to transfer the amount before paying the doctor or clinic. The usual payment deadlines give you enough room for this.<\/p>\n

Submit first, receive the reimbursement, then pay the provider. The order matters.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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Direct payment or deferral<\/h3>\n

If for any reason you need more time, you can ask the hospital or clinic to defer the payment, or ask the insurer to pay the provider directly. Both options are common and medical centres are used to handling them with private insurers.<\/p>\n

There's always a solution available. Don't hesitate to ask for it right from the start.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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\ud83d\udccb<\/div>\n

The deductible only affects small bills<\/h3>\n

If your plan has a deductible, remember it applies to the annual total of bills submitted \u2014 not to each bill separately. In major hospital stays, the deductible represents a tiny fraction of the total cost, and the insurer covers the rest without any problem.<\/p>\n

A deductible of 300 \u20ac a year is barely noticeable against a hospital stay of several thousand euros.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
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\n \"Managing\n <\/div>\n\n
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\n <\/span>\n Your insurance on your phone\n <\/div>\n

The insurer's app: everything in one place<\/h2>\n

With your policy number you can access the app from day one. It's the central tool for managing your private insurance with no calls or paperwork.<\/p>\n

From the app you can upload bills for reimbursement, check the status of your claims, access all your digital documents and policies, manage additional services like Health Coaching or finding a doctor, and review your reimbursement history.<\/p>\n

Everything that used to arrive by post \u2014 certificates, notices, policy updates \u2014 is also available in the app in digital format. Less paper, more control.<\/p>\n\n

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Do you have to submit every bill? The strategic bonus decision<\/h4>\n

No. You can decide which bills you submit and which you don't \u2014 and that decision has real financial implications.<\/p>\n

Many insurers refund between 600 \u20ac and 1,400 \u20ac of the premiums paid if you don't submit any bills during the year. This leads to a common practical decision: when you have a small bill \u2014 a 60 \u20ac appointment, a 90 \u20ac blood test \u2014 it may suit you better to pay it directly out of pocket than to submit it to the insurer, in order to keep your right to the annual bonus intact.<\/p>\n

The calculation is simple: if the bonus you'd get back exceeds the cost of the small bills you won't submit, you're better off not submitting them. It's an advantage exclusive to private health insurance that the public system never offers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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\n <\/span>\n Details worth knowing\n <\/div>\n

What to be clear about before you start<\/h2>\n

These are the most common questions about the billing system that are worth resolving before taking out private insurance.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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\ud83d\udcb6<\/div>\n

Liquidity for medication<\/h3>\n

The only time you usually pay upfront is for prescription medication. After your appointment, you take the prescription to a pharmacy and pay for it yourself; the reimbursement is processed shortly after, so you only cover the cost for a brief period.<\/p>\n

In practice, you simply upload the pharmacy receipt in your insurer's app and the money is back in your account within days.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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\ud83c\udfaf<\/div>\n

You decide what you submit<\/h3>\n

You're not obliged to submit every bill. If during the year you have no significant medical expenses, you can choose to submit nothing and receive the no-claims bonus, which can mean several hundred euros refunded.<\/p>\n

Between 600 \u20ac and 1,400 \u20ac refunded annually depending on the plan if you submit no bills.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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\ud83d\udcf1<\/div>\n

Everything from your phone<\/h3>\n

The app is designed to make the process as smooth as possible. You photograph the bill, send it and you're done. You don't need a scanner, you don't need to print anything or go to any office. The whole process from your phone.<\/p>\n

The app also lets you access documents, policies and additional insurance services.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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\ud83d\udccb<\/div>\n

Deductible, if you have one<\/h3>\n

If your plan has an annual deductible, the insurer will deduct that amount before reimbursing you. A higher deductible reduces your monthly premium, but it means you cover the first medical costs of the year yourself.<\/p>\n

You can adjust the deductible when you take out cover to balance the monthly cost with what you're willing to cover.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n
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\n <\/span>\n If one day you want to switch\n <\/div>\n

Can you switch to a different private health insurer later?<\/h2>\n

Yes, but there are conditions worth knowing from the start. In most contracts, you can't switch insurer for the first 24 months. After that period, you can request a switch to another PKV with 3 months' notice before 1 January of the following year.<\/p>\n

The important thing is that when you switch from one PKV to another, you can take with you the reserves built up during your time insured. This protects your long-term investment and gives you flexibility if you find better terms in the future.<\/p>\n Check my case \u2192<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n

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\n <\/span>\n Frequently asked questions\n <\/div>\n

Questions about bills, reimbursements and the app<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n\n
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