Care Expat World Benefits: Basic, Comfort and Premium Compared
Written by Steffan Grund · Insurance specialist (Versicherungsfachmann BWV) · Updated Facts checked:
Quick answer
All three levels cover hospital stays in a single or double room, outpatient treatment, medicines, scans and transport home. Comfort adds dental (dentures 60% up to €8,000 a year), check-ups, physiotherapy, pregnancy and 15 outpatient psychotherapy sessions a year. Premium raises dentures to 80% up to €10,000, allows 25 sessions, adds inpatient psychotherapy and lifts the cancer cap. There is no annual overall limit, but some benefits have their own caps, listed below.
Hospital (inpatient)
Benefit
Basic
Comfort
Premium
Chief physician, single or double room In Germany: shared room, fees up to 3.5× the German scale
✓
✓
✓
Bone marrow and organ transplants
✓
✓
✓
Cancer treatment
up to €50,000
up to €100,000
no cap
Follow-up treatment after a hospital stay
14 days
21 days
28 days
Hospice care
21 days
42 days
56 days
Inpatient psychotherapy
–
–
up to 42 days
Pregnancy and childbirth (10-month waiting period)
–
✓
✓
Parent staying with a child up to 18 (rooming-in)
–
✓
✓
Doctor visits (outpatient)
Benefit
Basic
Comfort
Premium
Outpatient treatment and surgery
✓
✓
✓
Prescription medicines and dressings
✓
✓
✓
Diagnostics: X-ray, CT, MRI
✓
✓
✓
Pregnancy complications
✓
✓
✓
Remedies such as physiotherapy and massage
–
✓
✓
Screenings and early-detection check-ups
–
€600 per 2 calendar years
€1,200 per 2 calendar years
Vaccinations, including travel vaccinations
–
€250 per year
€500 per year
Medical aids (prescribed)
life-sustaining aids only
€1,000 per year
€1,500 per year
Osteopathy and chiropractic
–
10 sessions a year, max. €150 each
20 sessions a year, max. €200 each
Acupuncture, homeopathy, TCM
–
€750 per year
€1,500 per year
Outpatient psychotherapy
–
15 sessions a year, max. €150 each
25 sessions a year, max. €150 each
Glasses and contact lenses
–
€300 per 2 calendar years
€500 per 2 calendar years
Midwife and pregnancy check-ups (10-month waiting period)
Orthodontics up to age 20 (10-month waiting period)
–
60%, max. €8,000 a year
80%, max. €10,000 a year
Transport, emergencies and home visits
Benefit
Basic
Comfort
Premium
24/7 emergency phone line
✓
✓
✓
Medically advised transport back home
✓
✓
✓
Rescue costs after an accident
up to €5,000
up to €10,000
up to €15,000
Outpatient patient transport
✓
✓
✓
Visits to your home country
up to 180 days a year*
up to 180 days a year*
up to 180 days a year*
* The binding German terms grant home-country cover only if your home country is an EU or Schengen state. Citizens of the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, India and other non-EU countries are not covered in their home country. More in our guide to international health insurance with home-country cover.
Where the cover applies
Zone 1: Worldwide except the USA, China and Singapore.
Zone 2: Worldwide including China and Singapore, except the USA.
Zone 3: Worldwide including the USA, China and Singapore.
Higher zones are covered for emergencies for up to 42 days per trip, never in your home country. Prices for all ages are on the overview page, and our guide to international health insurance cost breaks them down by age band.
Waiting periods
What
Waiting period
Detail
General waiting period
None, if you had health insurance until the start date
31 days if your previous insurance ended up to 12 months before the start
Pregnancy and childbirth
10 months
Not for unforeseen complications before week 36
Dentures and orthodontics
10 months
Waived if the treatment follows an accident
Laser eye surgery (LASIK)
2 full calendar years
Always applies
Who cannot be insured
People who will turn 65 or older in the calendar year cover starts (the application form counts age as calendar year minus year of birth)
People staying in Germany for more than 180 days a year, or who are subject to German statutory health insurance
Professional athletes and people who need nursing or custodial care
12 months. After that you can cancel to the end of the following month, in writing.
Can the insurer cancel?
No ordinary cancellation by the insurer. Statutory extraordinary termination stays possible for both sides.
End date
None. The contract has no maximum term and no age at which cover stops.
Start date
Always the 1st of a month, at most 4 months ahead, and not before you cross the border.
Cooling-off period
14 days to cancel after signing, without giving reasons.
Price changes
Premiums are reviewed once a year and change on 1 January; you may leave within 1 month of an increase. A higher age band also applies from 1 January of the year you reach it.
Changing your zone
On the 1st of any month. Treatment already planned is not covered in the higher zone.
Changing tier or deductible
Once a year, on 1 January. A lower level or a higher deductible needs no new health check; a higher level or a lower deductible needs a new video interview (AVB §6 Ziff. 2).
Payment
Monthly in EUR by SEPA direct debit or bank transfer; other online methods cost a 4% fee (at least €3).
Membership
Cover runs through a group contract of the ISPA association; membership is free.
Fees besides the premium
Fee
Amount
Reminder for a missed payment
€2.50
Returned direct debit
€4
Online payment methods (if offered)
4% of the premium, at least €3
Premiums are exempt from German insurance tax.
Prices for each level
The plan featured on this site. We earn a referral commission if you take it out, at no extra cost to you (how we are paid); this is information, not personal advice. Lowest prices (Basic, €3,600 deductible): €70 at 30–34, €120 at 45–49, €200 at 55–59, €325 at 60–64; €40 for ages 0–24.
Care Expat World Basic (hospital and doctor cover)
Lowest price, for people who mainly want protection against large medical bills.
Age 30-34€70–€175
Age 45-49€120–€250
Age 55-59€200–€345
Age 60-64€325–€460
Per month, Zone 1. Lower price with a €3,600 deductible, higher with none.
Hospital in a single or double room, chief physician
No. Dental treatment, check-ups, cleaning, dentures and orthodontics start at Comfort.
Which level covers mental health?
Comfort pays up to 15 outpatient psychotherapy sessions a year and Premium up to 25, each at up to €150 a session. Inpatient psychotherapy (up to 42 days) is Premium only; Basic has none.
How much does it pay for cancer treatment?
Up to €50,000 in Basic and up to €100,000 in Comfort. Premium has no cap on cancer treatment.
Are glasses and contact lenses covered?
In Comfort up to €300 and in Premium up to €500, each per two calendar years. Laser eye surgery has a waiting period of two full calendar years.
Do the yearly caps reset?
Yes. Caps marked "per year" restart every 1 January. Caps marked "per 2 calendar years" cover two calendar years together.
What applies to treatment in Germany?
Doctors are reimbursed up to 3.5 times the German fee scale, and hospital stays are in a shared room. People living in Germany cannot take out the plan.
Is medical evacuation included?
All levels pay for medically advised transport back to your home country and for patient transport. Rescue costs after an accident are covered up to €5,000 (Basic), €10,000 (Comfort) or €15,000 (Premium).
What is not covered?
Among others: treatment that was the reason for travelling, pregnancies existing at the start, medical exams for residence or work permits, and anything the health interview excludes for you personally.
Found the level that fits?
Apply online in a few minutes. The insurer confirms your terms after a short video health interview.
Referral link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you (how we are paid).
