What is an own risk excess?

The own risk of a policy is the cost that the insured party has to pay in case of a claim. There are usually two reasons for having this attached to a policy. Firstly it is to save costs for the insurance company, as the insured party also pays a part of the claim; selecting a higher excess than the default excess means you receive a discount on the policy in return. The second reason is to try and make the insured party more cost conscious when making a claim.

The health insurance has a compulsory own risk excess, which can be increased by choice. (The excess consists of two parts: a compulsory excess and an optional component.) For 2013 the compulsory excess is €350.- You can raise this in 100 euro steps to a maximum of €850.- The excess of a policy does not apply to:

• Persons younger than 18 years (including dental coverage)
• The cost of your GP
• Midwife and maternity care
• Claims made against any additional coverage added to the base policy
• Aftercare for living organ donors (for liver and kidney transplants)
• Chain care, where different health care providers work together – for example treatment of diabetes

People with chronic illnesses or disabilities receive an annual compensation towards the own risk of their policies. For 2013 this is €115. If you are eligible for this reimbursement you will receive notification from the CAK. (add full title in English)

Unfortunately it is not yet known what the excess for 2013 will be.

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