Ageing reserves in PKV are the part of your premiums that is set aside for later years, so that premiums do not rise solely with age. In law this is called the ageing provision (Alterungsrückstellung). A statutory surcharge of 10 percent on the premium flows into it: it starts at the latest in the calendar year after your 21st birthday and ends in the calendar year of your 60th birthday. For students, one question matters above all: what happens to it if you change tariff or insurer?
Key points in brief
- The ageing reserve serves to reduce premiums in old age and is built from part of your contributions.
- When you switch tariff within the same insurer, it is credited.
- No new ageing reserve is built in the emergency tariff.
- It slows the age-related rise, but premium adjustments remain possible.
How do ageing reserves work in PKV?
PKV calculates premiums so that they do not rise automatically with every year of life. The insurer sets part of the premium aside, because health costs tend to increase with age on average. Saving for future years in this way is called capital funding. The statutory 10 percent surcharge on the premium is one building block of this (§ 149 VAG).
The surcharge does not apply to every contract. Exempt are time-limited contracts, tariffs up to the statutory age limit and the emergency tariff. Why contributions rise over time is explained in PKV contribution trends (in German).
What happens to ageing reserves when you switch?
It depends on the type of switch. When you move to another tariff with your own insurer, you are entitled to having your acquired rights and the ageing reserve credited. A switch to a different insurer is a separate case: part of the reserve may transfer as a transfer value, but you should not assume that the full amount will be transferred. Ask your current insurer for the amount in your contract before you cancel.
| Situation | What happens to the ageing reserve |
|---|---|
| Tariff switch with your own insurer | It is credited (§ 204 VVG). |
| Small deferred policy (Anwartschaft) | The health status is secured, but no ageing reserves are built. The later premium depends on your age when you resume. |
| Large deferred policy (Anwartschaft) | Health status and entry age are secured, and the ageing reserves continue to be built. |
| Emergency tariff | No new ageing reserve is built. |
| Switch to another insurer | Only part can transfer as a transfer value. The current insurer states the amount on request. |
The PKV association summarises the rules on tariff switching in its tariff switching guidelines. The process and the documents needed when you start are shown in switching to PKV as a student (in German).
What does a deferred policy do for ageing reserves?
A deferred policy (Anwartschaft) keeps the contract open for later, for example for a study abroad or a switch to statutory insurance. The small variant costs only a fraction of the tariff contribution, the large variant significantly more because it continues to build the ageing reserves. The insurer states the exact amounts. Reactivation usually takes place within two months of the reason ceasing.
Which variant makes sense depends on how long you pause and how much a low entry age is worth to you. More is set out under deferred policies in PKV (in German).
Do ageing reserves ensure stable premiums in old age?
They slow the age-related rise, but they do not prevent adjustments. At least once a year, the insurer compares, for each tariff, the required benefits with the calculated benefits and mortality probabilities. If the deviation exceeds the threshold, contributions are reviewed and adjusted where necessary. By law the threshold is 10 percent, while the tariff conditions may lower it to 5 percent. An independent trustee must approve the adjustment.
How to respond to a notice is shown in PKV contribution adjustments (in German). Anyone wanting to lower contributions in an ongoing contract will find approaches in saving on PKV contributions (in German). Another lever is the contribution refund; the calculation is set out in the article on when a contribution refund pays off (in German).
Frequently asked questions
What are ageing reserves in PKV?
They are the part of your contributions that the insurer sets aside for later years. In law they are called the ageing provision. A statutory 10 percent surcharge on the premium flows into them and serves to reduce premiums in old age. It begins at the latest in the calendar year after your 21st birthday and ends in the year of your 60th birthday.
Can I take my ageing reserves with me?
When you switch tariffs with your own insurer, they are credited. When you switch to another insurer, only part can transfer as a transfer value, and the full amount is not guaranteed. Ask for the amount before you cancel and secure continuous cover so that no gap arises.
Do ageing reserves prevent premium increases?
No. They reduce the age-related rise, but adjustments remain possible. The insurer checks at least once a year whether the deviation between calculated and actual benefits exceeds the 10 percent threshold, in some tariffs already at 5 percent. A trustee must approve any adjustment.
What happens to ageing reserves in the emergency tariff?
No new ageing reserve is built in the emergency tariff. You move there automatically if contributions are in arrears; benefits there are only available for acute illness and pain and in a few other cases. After all arrears are paid, the contract continues in the old tariff from the month after next.
How to get started now
- Ask your insurer for the current status of your ageing reserve and the transfer value.
- Before any switch, check whether a tariff switch with your own insurer already achieves your goal.
- For a planned break, calculate whether a small or a large deferred policy suits your period.
- Only cancel once continuous cover is confirmed.
If you want to talk through your situation, you will find the way to advice on the Academycon homepage (in German).
You can find reviews of us on ProvenExpert, Trustlocal and Trustindex. Academycon has been mentioned, among other things, in an advertisement on FAZ.net. An overview of all mentions is on the press page (in German).
Related reading
- PKV tariff switch: how to change within your insurer (in German)
- Disadvantages of PKV for students: what you should know in advance (in German)
- PKV or statutory insurance as a student: which is better? (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
