Basic and supplemental insurance with different health insurers: is it possible?
You can take out basic and supplemental insurance with different providers. Comparis explains the pros and cons of having policies with different health insurers, and how to get your medical expenses reimbursed.
04.08.2022
iStock/Edwin Tan
1. Separate basic and supplemental insurance: pros and cons
Advantages of separation
Reduce premium costs for basic insurance: the benefits provided by basic insurance are the same irrespective of health insurer. In the Comparis premium calculator, you can see the best deals at a glance. However, cheap basic insurance does not necessarily mean that the same provider offers the best conditions for supplemental insurance.
Better data protection: if you have basic and supplemental insurance with different providers, your medical data for each policy is clearly separated.
Good to know: health insurers may not cancel supplemental insurance if you have cancelled your basic insurance and switched to another provider.
Disadvantages of separation
More complex clarifications: challenges can arise if a benefit cannot be clearly allocated to basic or supplemental insurance. Health insurers often send the policyholder back and forth. If this happens, you can contact the ombudsman.
Possible loss of discounts: some insurers withdraw certain special rates such as family discounts or collective discounts. Consult your supplemental insurance provider directly to find out what applies in your case.
Administrative surcharges allowed: splitting basic and supplemental insurance may generate higher administration costs for health insurers. They are therefore permitted to apply a surcharge.
Multiple premium invoices: if you don’t take out supplemental insurance with the same provider as your basic insurance, you will receive multiple premium invoices. If you don’t have a direct debit, you might have more paperwork to deal with.
No guarantee of acceptance by supplemental insurance providers
Do you already have supplemental insurance? You should think carefully about switching. Your application is not guaranteed to be accepted. You should therefore only cancel your current supplemental health insurance policy once you have definitely been accepted by the new insurer.
2. Reimbursement of medical expenses with different insurers
If you have basic and supplemental insurance with different companies, here’s how to get your medical expenses reimbursed:
Before sending anything, make copies for future reference.
Send the bills to your basic health insurance provider. Inform the insurer that you have supplemental health insurance from another provider. Your basic health insurer will check the bill and send you a statement. Many health insurers now offer apps or web portals that you can use to claim reimbursements. You usually only need to upload a photo or scan of the bill.
You can then send this statement along with a copy of the doctor’s invoice to your supplemental health insurance provider.
Sometimes you may receive two original invoices to forward to each provider.
This article was first published on 04.08.2022
