Private health insurance in Germany can cover prenatal checkups, midwife care, prenatal diagnostics and delivery, but only as far as your individual contract says so. Unlike public health insurance, there is no standard package. Your tariff decides what is paid, and the maternity pay you receive works differently too. This guide explains what to check, what money to expect during maternity leave, and how to insure your baby, whether you are an employee, a freelancer, a student or a family that has just moved to Germany.
TL;DR
- Private health insurance is contractual: coverage for midwives, on-call fees, antenatal classes and prenatal tests depends on your tariff, so get your benefits confirmed in writing early.
- Privately insured employees do not receive the statutory Mutterschaftsgeld from an insurer. You can apply to the Federal Office for Social Security (BAS) for a one-time payment of up to 210 euros, and daily sickness allowance (Krankentagegeld) can replace lost income if you have it.
- You keep paying your full premium during maternity leave, without the employer's subsidy.
- Newborns can often join a parent's policy without a new health check if you register the baby within two months of birth.
- Switching to private cover while pregnant is possible, but check waiting periods and exclusions before you sign anything.
Table of Contents
- Who can have private health insurance in the first place
- What private insurance typically covers in pregnancy and birth
- Paying upfront and claiming back
- Maternity pay: what changes if you are privately insured
- Switching to private insurance while pregnant
- Insuring your baby
- Questions to ask before you sign
- Our view on maternity cover and private insurance
- Get a comparison in plain English
- FAQ
- Sources
Who can have private health insurance in the first place
Private cover is not open to everyone. In 2026, employees can choose it if their gross income exceeds 77,400 euros a year, or 6,450 euros a month. Freelancers, self-employed people and civil servants can also choose it regardless of that threshold. The Federal Ministry of Health describes the switch as open only to people who are not subject to compulsory public insurance, such as these groups.
If you are planning a pregnancy and are close to the line, read our overview of the income limit changes for 2027. Students and newcomers in their first months face other rules, which we cover in our guides to private health insurance for students and health insurance for newcomers.
What private insurance typically covers in pregnancy and birth
Germany's public system guarantees every pregnant woman regular checkups and counseling so that risks are found and treated early. Private tariffs usually match this and often go further, but the details vary by contract. According to Verivox, depending on the tariff, private insurers reimburse the costs of prenatal care, prenatal diagnostics, midwife services and delivery.
In practice, these are the items worth checking line by line:
- Prenatal checkups and ultrasounds: how many are reimbursed, and whether extra scans beyond the standard schedule are included.
- Prenatal diagnostics: such as additional blood tests. Some tariffs cover them fully, others only with a medical indication.
- Midwife care: before and after birth, including the on-call fee (Rufbereitschaftspauschale) many midwives charge.
- Antenatal classes: and postnatal exercise courses, which are often capped at a fixed amount.
- Delivery: the hospital stay, the room category (single or shared room), and the choice of attending doctor. Birth & Mother notes that coverage for these items varies by policy and recommends requesting written confirmation of your benefits early in pregnancy.
- Birth center or home birth: not every tariff reimburses these, so ask explicitly.
Our own page on what private health insurance covers gives the wider picture beyond pregnancy, and the article on private insurance during pregnancy and Elternzeit-in-germany#what-benefits-does-private-health-insurance-cover-during-pregnancy-and-birth) goes deeper on the benefit list.
Paying upfront and claiming back
Most privately insured patients receive the invoice first and submit it to the insurer afterwards. That is why understanding your contract's limits before you book anything matters. Experts quoted by Birth & Mother stress the same point: transparency about what your policy pays is essential because you often advance the cost.
A few habits make this painless:
- Ask your insurer for a written statement of benefits for pregnancy, birth and midwife care as soon as you know you are expecting.
- For expensive items, such as a private room or additional diagnostics, request a cost approval (Kostenzusage) before the service.
- Keep every invoice and prescription, and submit them in batches, ideally through your insurer's app.
- Confirm with your midwife that she accepts privately insured clients. Some decline them because of the extra billing work, so it pays to ask early.
If you also help look after a parent or relative with a care level, the same paperwork discipline applies to care benefits. For example, there is a useful explainer on care aids for people with private care insurance that shows how claims and costs work on that side.
Maternity pay: what changes if you are privately insured
Here private and public insurance really differ. The protection periods and employment rules around Mutterschutz and Elternzeit are the same for everyone, as the private insurers' association explains. The money is not.
Employees
Privately insured women do not receive Mutterschaftsgeld from their insurer. If you are employed, you can instead apply to the Federal Office for Social Security (BAS), which pays maternity benefit in certain cases, including when you are not a member of a public health insurer. According to the private insurers' association, this is a one-time payment of up to 210 euros.
Your employer's top-up during the protection periods is a separate matter and follows your employment situation and contract, so check it with your HR department.
If you have daily sickness allowance (Krankentagegeld) insurance, it may pay out during the statutory protection periods, subject to your contract terms. Read the conditions carefully, because not every tariff includes maternity periods.
Premiums continue
As a privately insured employee, you do not receive the employer's health insurance subsidy during maternity leave, so you pay the full premium yourself. Build that into your household budget before leave starts. Some insurers offer contribution relief during parental leave. We list which ones in our guide on contribution relief in private health insurance-in-germany#contribution-relief-in-private-health-insurance-which-insurers-offer-it), and it is worth comparing this before you choose a tariff, not after.
Freelancers and self-employed women
Self-employed women are not entitled to statutory maternity benefits. You can bridge the gap with Krankentagegeld insurance, but it must be started at least eight months before the expected loss of earnings, according to the private insurers' association. The Familienportal also describes a voluntary option for self-employed women to insure themselves for the period from six weeks before the due date to usually eight weeks after birth. If you are freelancing and thinking about a baby, this timing is the single most important planning point in this article.
Elterngeld and Krankentagegeld
Parental allowance (Elterngeld) works the same way for privately and publicly insured parents. One interaction matters: according to the Familienportal, daily sickness allowance you receive during maternity leave is offset against the Elterngeld you would otherwise get, so you do not receive both in full. Plan the sequence early, ideally before the baby arrives.
Switching to private insurance while pregnant
A change to private cover is possible during pregnancy, according to Verivox, but this is where careful reading pays off. A new policy can come with waiting periods or exclusions for benefits tied to an existing pregnancy. If you are moving from another private tariff, ask the insurer to confirm in writing that any eight-month waiting period for benefits is waived.
Two further points before you move:
- Think about the way back. Moving from public to private insurance is generally flexible above the threshold, but returning to public insurance later is significantly restricted by law, particularly for people over 55. Treat this as a long-term decision, not a decision about one pregnancy.
- Mind the timeline. Notice periods and the date your income crosses the threshold decide when you can switch. Our step-by-step switching timeline shows the sequence, and the eligibility check is the place to start.
If you are already pregnant and have not yet joined any private insurer, the practical advice is to compare more than one before committing, because underwriting and exclusions differ between insurers.
Insuring your baby
In the private system, children are not covered at no charge the way they can be in public insurance, so every child has their own premium. The good news is the entry rule. According to Verivox, newborns can often be added to a parent's private policy without a new health check, provided they are registered within two months of birth and the parent has been insured for a sufficient period.
What to do in practice:
- Ask your insurer before the birth what the newborn option requires, including how long you must have been insured.
- Put the registration deadline in your calendar as soon as the baby has a birth date.
- Compare the child's premium, and see whether your tariff includes any relief for children.
- Check whether the same insurer gives a pregnancy or baby bonus. Some private and public insurers do, though amounts differ.
Our section on insuring your newborn-in-germany#insuring-your-newborn) covers the details.
Questions to ask before you sign
When you compare tariffs with maternity in mind, these questions separate a good contract from a thin one:
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is there a waiting period for pregnancy or birth benefits? | Can delay coverage right when you need it |
| Are midwife fees and on-call fees reimbursed, and up to what amount? | Midwife billing is a common gap |
| Are prenatal diagnostics covered beyond routine checks? | Extra tests can be costly |
| Which room and doctor choices are included for delivery? | Defines your hospital experience |
| Is Krankentagegeld included, and does it apply in protection periods? | Replaces income if you are self-employed |
| Is contribution relief offered during parental leave? | Reduces premium pressure |
| What is required to add a newborn without a health check? | Protects your baby's entry |
Ask for the answers in writing. A phone answer is not a contract.
Our view on maternity cover and private insurance
We advise people moving to Germany who often meet this system for the first time while expecting a child, so we see the same surprises again and again. The first is that maternity pay is not automatic: privately insured women have to apply for it and the amounts differ from what friends on public insurance describe. The second is that the premium continues in full during leave. The third is that the best tariff on paper for a healthy 30-year-old is not always the best tariff for a family that plans children.
Because we are independent and not tied to any single insurer, we compare private and public options side by side and tell you when public insurance fits your situation better. If you are a freelancer, a family with a modest budget or someone planning to leave Germany within a few years, public insurance can be the smarter choice. Private cover shines when you have a stable income above the threshold, want a defined benefit list and plan to stay long term.
Our advice: decide on insurance before you are pregnant if you can, ask for written benefits, and never assume a feature exists because it is common.
— Marco
Get a comparison in plain English
Myhealthcarebroker is an independent consultancy helping people who live and work in Germany compare insurers in clear English. The service is free to you. If you want to see what private insurance would mean for pregnancy and a newborn, start with our private health insurance guide or request a free quote. If you are still deciding between systems, our public health insurance page explains the alternative.
FAQ
Does private health insurance in Germany cover childbirth?
Yes, in most tariffs, but the scope is set by your contract. Prenatal care, midwife services and delivery are typically reimbursed, while room category, diagnostics and midwife on-call fees differ. Ask your insurer for written confirmation.
Do I get Mutterschaftsgeld if I am privately insured?
Not from your insurer. If you are employed, you can apply to the Federal Office for Social Security for a one-time payment of up to 210 euros. Daily sickness allowance insurance may add income replacement, depending on your contract.
Can I switch to private insurance when I am already pregnant?
It is possible, but check waiting periods and exclusions before signing. If you are changing from another private tariff, ask for written confirmation that waiting periods are waived. Remember that returning to public insurance later can be difficult.
How do I insure my newborn?
Often you can add the baby to your private policy without a new health check, if you register within two months of birth and meet the insurer's prior insurance requirement. Confirm the exact rules with your insurer before the due date.
Do I still pay premiums during maternity leave?
Yes. As a privately insured employee you pay the full premium during leave, without the employer's subsidy. Some insurers offer contribution relief, so compare this when you choose a tariff.
Sources
- Versicherte in der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung, Federal Ministry of Health
- Wechsel zwischen gesetzlicher und privater Krankenversicherung, Federal Ministry of Health
- Privatversichert in Mutterschutz und Elternzeit, pkv.de
- Maternity benefit overview, Federal Office for Social Security
- Mutterschaftsleistungen für Selbstständige, Familienportal des Bundes
- Elterngeld und Mutterschaftsleistungen, Familienportal des Bundes
- Prenatal care, gesund.bund.de
- Private Krankenversicherung und Schwangerschaft, Verivox
- What Your Insurance Covers: Pregnancy, Birth and After in Germany, Birth & Mother