Alterungsrückstellungen are reserves calculated into German private health-insurance premiums to help offset expected higher claims as insured people age. They do not give the individual a free-access savings balance, and they do not guarantee premiums stop rising. Medical inflation, tariff claims and contract terms can still change future prices. The Federal Health Ministry's explanation describes the legal treatment.
Two different types of move
If Lena switches to another equivalent tariff within her insurer, the full eligible age reserve generally follows her. For a contract started from 2009 onward, switching to another insurer carries a statutory transfer value corresponding to the Basistarif-equivalent portion of the reserve, which can be less than the total built up. A pre-2009 contract may have different transfer rights.
A quotation example, not a market average
Suppose Lena's annual insurer statement reports €100,000 of relevant accrued reserves and a specific written transfer value of €60,000 for a proposed external insurer switch. Then €60,000 is the portable value in that example, and €40,000 would remain behind under the stated terms. This is explicitly hypothetical; there is no official rule that “60% is always portable.” She should compare both new tariffs at equivalent benefits and deductibles and request her actual statutory transfer value before cancelling the old contract.
Connection to GKV decisions
Moving from PKV to GKV is a separate insurance-status decision, with legal restrictions after age 55 described by BMG. The age reserve is not generally paid as a personal cash refund on that move. Avoid treating all past premiums as “overpayment”; they bought past insurance coverage and funded tariff reserves. If Lena faces affordability pressure, compare internal tariff changes and statutory Basistarif/Standardtarif options first.
