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SDK Private Health Insurance
Edited by
Sadie Voss
Content Lead & Editor
Sadie Voss is the Lead Editor for How-to-Germany.com. As an expat who carved her own way into Berlin from the United States, Sadie is deeply...
- English Support: Primarily geared toward German-speaking customers, with most policy documents, communication channels, and service processes designed for the domestic market
- Digital App / Claims Handling: Combines digital claims management with telemedicine, electronic prescriptions, digital health applications, and access to Germany’s electronic patient record (ePA)
- Best For: Employees, self-employed professionals, civil servants, doctors, and dentists looking for a modular private health insurance system that can be adapted over time without sacrificing long-term planning security
SDK Private Health Insurance Overview
SDK (Süddeutsche Krankenversicherung) is a long-established insurer with roots in southern Germany. The company offers private German health insurance plans, supplementary insurance, long-term care insurance, accident insurance, and property insurance.
Within private health insurance, SDK is particularly known for its flexible modular structure, which allows policyholders to build coverage from a wide range of individually selectable components. Unlike many insurers that focus on a small number of predefined tariffs, SDK uses a building-block approach with 15 tariff modules covering outpatient treatment, hospital care, dental benefits, and additional coverage options. This structure allows insured individuals to adapt their insurance as their personal or professional circumstances change. Often, upgrades and tariff adjustments are possible without a new health assessment.
Another key feature of SDK is its focus on long-term premium stability and sustainable private health insurance premiums.
SDK also offers specialized solutions for doctors and dentists. These include contribution discounts, tailored tariff combinations, and additional flexibility within the modular system. Dentists may even choose reduced dental coverage or waive certain dental modules entirely, reflecting the insurer’s highly configurable approach to private health insurance.
- Modular private health insurance system
- Flexible upgrade options without a new health assessment in many tariff constellations
- Specialized solutions and contribution discounts for doctors and dentists
- Modular structures can require more comparison and planning than fixed tariff models
- Coverage levels for outpatient, hospital, and dental care depend on the selected tariff combination
- Most advisory services, documentation, and communication are geared toward the German market
SDK complements its established insurance services and personal advisory structures with a growing range of digital services and healthcare tools. Customers can submit claims through the SDK app, manage documents online, and access telemedicine services, electronic prescriptions, and digital health applications. These digital features are designed to simplify administrative processes and improve access to healthcare services.
Customers can submit claims through the SDK app, manage documents online, and access telemedicine services, electronic prescriptions, and digital health applications.
Key Health Insurance Tariffs
SDK’s private health insurance differs from many traditional tariff models. While the insurer presents example protection levels ranging from basic to premium coverage, the actual insurance structure is built around individually selectable modules. This allows customers to combine different levels of outpatient, hospital, dental, and additional benefits according to their personal priorities. For example, someone may choose comprehensive outpatient coverage while keeping hospital benefits at a more basic level, creating a highly individualized insurance package.
SDK uses a building-block system with 15 tariff modules covering outpatient treatment, hospital care, dental benefits, and additional coverage options.
Outpatient Coverage
Outpatient supplementary German health insurance care forms the largest part of SDK’s modular system, with multiple tariff options covering medical treatment, specialist consultations, preventive care, alternative medicine, and psychotherapy. Depending on the selected module, reimbursement may exceed the standard German fee schedules for doctors and dentists.
Hospital Coverage
Hospital benefits can be tailored through different coverage levels, ranging from standard inpatient treatment to enhanced options such as accommodation in a double or single room, treatment by senior physicians, and access to private hospitals.
Benefit levels for outpatient, hospital, and dental care vary significantly depending on the selected modules and reimbursement structure.
Deductibles and Cost Sharing
SDK allows customers to choose between different deductible models within the outpatient component of its private health insurance. Depending on the selected tariff, deductibles may be structured as fixed annual amounts or as a percentage of eligible outpatient costs, ranging from 0% to 30%. This approach gives insured individuals additional flexibility when balancing premiums and reimbursement levels.
These deductibles apply only to the outpatient modules. Hospital coverage is structured separately, while dental benefits follow their own reimbursement model depending on the selected tariff.
Daily Sickness Benefits
Daily sickness benefits are integrated into the overall insurance policy and can be adjusted according to individual requirements. Different waiting periods and benefit levels are available, allowing insured persons to protect their income during longer periods of illness. While this component can supplement employees’ income protection after salary payments end, it is particularly important for self-employed professionals who do not receive salary continuation from an employer.
International Coverage
SDK’s private health insurance includes international coverage. Protection generally extends throughout Europe and can also apply worldwide. Depending on the selected tariff and individual agreement with the insurer, coverage may also be maintained during longer-term or permanent stays abroad. This flexibility can be particularly valuable for internationally mobile professionals and expats. For longer trips or separate travel policies, German international travel health insurance may still be relevant depending on the selected tariff and stay duration.
Protection generally extends throughout Europe and can also apply worldwide. Longer-term or permanent stays abroad may be possible depending on the selected tariff and individual agreement.
Health Insurance for Doctors and Dentists
SDK offers specialized private health insurance solutions for doctors and dentists. Medical professionals can benefit from contribution discounts and tariff structures designed specifically for their profession. These advantages may also extend to eligible family members, while the modular design allows coverage to be adapted to different career paths and income levels. The tariffs are suitable for both employed physicians and practice owners.
SDK offers specialized solutions for doctors and dentists, including contribution discounts, tailored tariff combinations, and additional flexibility within the modular system.
Dentists benefit from additional flexibility within the SDK system. Depending on their individual needs, dental coverage can be selected at different levels, reduced, or, in certain cases, omitted and added later. This approach reflects the insurer’s broader philosophy of allowing customers to tailor coverage to their personal and professional circumstances rather than relying on fixed tariff structures.
Expat Reality Check
- Highly Customizable Coverage: Different coverage levels can be combined across outpatient, hospital, and dental benefits, allowing insurance to reflect individual priorities
- Long-Term Flexibility: Various upgrade and tariff adjustment options help adapt coverage as personal or professional circumstances change
- Strong Option for Medical Professionals: Doctors and dentists benefit from dedicated tariff solutions and contribution discounts
- International Coverage: Coverage within Europe is generally available without a fixed time limit, while protection outside Europe is usually subject to time limits. Depending on the tariff and individual agreement with SDK, coverage for longer-term or permanent stays abroad may also be possible.
- Complex Decision-Making: The high degree of customization can make tariff selection more demanding than choosing a predefined plan
- Coverage Depends on Configuration: Benefit levels vary significantly depending on the selected modules and reimbursement structure
- Traditional Insurer Structure: Personal advice remains important when selecting and managing coverage, which may not appeal to expats seeking a fully digital experience
- International Coverage Requires Clarification: Longer stays abroad are possible, but conditions should be discussed individually with the insurer before relocation
Dental and Vision Coverage
Dental and vision benefits are part of SDK’s comprehensive private health insurance portfolio, although the exact level of coverage depends on the selected tariff modules. Within private health insurance, dental benefits can include 100% reimbursement for dental treatment and between 60% and 90% reimbursement for dentures, with higher reimbursement levels available in more comprehensive tariff configurations. Depending on the selected plan, reimbursement may extend beyond the standard German fee schedules used by dentists. Vision benefits are also available under the tariff structure, with the scope of coverage depending on the selected modules and reimbursement levels.
In addition to private health insurance, SDK offers separate private German dentist insurance and outpatient supplementary insurance plans. Dental supplementary insurance is available in several tariff levels with reimbursement rates ranging from 50% to 100% for dental treatment and dentures. The plans also include preventive services such as professional teeth cleaning and provide orthodontic benefits for children, with additional coverage available for accident-related orthodontic treatment for adults.
Vision benefits for people insured with a statutory health insurance fund are offered through SDK’s outpatient supplementary German health insurance. Depending on the selected tariff, policyholders can receive German vision insurance reimbursement for glasses, contact lenses, refractive eye surgery, preventive care, vaccinations, alternative treatments, medical aids, and certain out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. This allows members of the public health insurance system to expand their coverage in areas that are not covered, or only partially covered, by statutory insurance.
SDK Coverage Modules Compared
| Comparison Point | Outpatient Modules | Hospital Modules | Dental Modules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Medical treatment, specialists, prevention | Inpatient comfort and hospital choice | Dental treatment and dentures |
| Cost Sharing | 0% to 30% or fixed annual deductible | Structured separately | Separate reimbursement model |
| Customization | Multiple outpatient tariff options | Standard to enhanced coverage levels | Can be selected, reduced, or omitted in some cases |
| Fee Schedule Coverage | May exceed standard doctor fee schedules | Depends on selected hospital level | May exceed standard dentist fee schedules |
| Key Benefits | Specialists, prevention, alternative medicine, psychotherapy | Double or single room, senior physicians, private hospitals | 100% treatment; 60% to 90% dentures |
| Upgrade Flexibility | Adjustments often possible | Adjustments often possible | Can be added later in some cases |
Alternatives to SDK Private Health Insurance
When comparing private health insurance companies in Germany, it is important to look beyond the provider name. Tariff structure, reimbursement levels, digital service, international coverage, and suitability for different customer groups can vary significantly.
Across traditional private health insurance companies, providers differ in how they position their tariffs, which customer groups they address, and how coverage can be adapted over time.
- Allianz: Offers a broad range of private health insurance tariffs, including dedicated solutions for physicians and medical students, combined with extensive options for tailoring coverage across different benefit areas
- HanseMerkur: Provides a diverse tariff landscape covering a wide range of coverage levels, deductibles, and benefit combinations for different customer profiles
- Debeka: Follows a comparatively flexible approach based on individually configured coverage concepts rather than strictly predefined tariff tiers
Recently, digital private providers have increasingly focused on simplifying access to private health insurance through digital processes and streamlined customer journeys.
- ottonova: Fully digital private health insurer combining comprehensive health insurance coverage with integrated telemedicine and app-based policy management
- Feather: Digital provider emphasizing transparent insurance structures, simplified applications, and straightforward contract administration
- Getsafe: Mobile-first platform that primarily arranges private health insurance solutions from partner insurers instead of offering its own tariff portfolio
SDK’s defining characteristic is its modular approach to private health insurance, allowing coverage to be configured and adjusted across different benefit areas over time. Alternative providers may focus more strongly on specific occupational groups, extensive tariff portfolios, fixed coverage structures, or fully digital customer experiences.
Conclusion
SDK follows a different approach from many private health insurers. Rather than relying primarily on predefined tariff packages, the company builds its private health insurance around a modular system that allows customers to combine and adjust different coverage components over time. This approach can be particularly valuable for people whose professional or personal circumstances may change in the future.
The insurer is also worth considering for doctors and dentists, who benefit from dedicated tariff solutions and profession-specific advantages. Internationally mobile professionals may also appreciate the option to arrange longer-term international coverage beyond the standard limits in many private health insurance plans.
In my view, SDK is most attractive for people who want to actively shape their private insurance rather than simply choosing between a few predefined private health insurance policies. The modular structure requires more comparison and planning than some competing products, but it also offers a level of flexibility that is not available from every insurer. This can make SDK an interesting option for expats exploring different health insurance options and seeking private health insurance in Germany with greater scope for future adjustment.
Frequently Asked Questions
SDK’s main distinguishing feature is its modular approach to private health insurance. Instead of choosing from a small set of fixed tariffs, customers can combine different coverage components and reimbursement levels to suit their individual priorities. This allows for a more customized insurance solution than many traditional tariff structures.
Yes. The SDK tariff system is designed to provide flexibility over time. Depending on the selected tariff structure, customers may be able to make use of tariff adjustments and upgrade options without a new health assessment. This can be particularly useful when personal circumstances, family situations, or professional requirements change.
SDK’s private health insurance generally includes coverage throughout Europe and also provides worldwide protection. While coverage outside Europe is often subject to time limits, longer-term or even permanent stays abroad may be possible through individual agreements with the insurer. Expats planning an international relocation should discuss their destination and expected length of stay with SDK before moving abroad.