Private long-term care supplements often include health questions in the application. If you answer incompletely, the insurer may not pay, or may not pay in full, when a need for care arises. This guide explains what you have to state, what the pre-contractual duty of disclosure means and what role subsidised policies play.
Short answer: With a private long-term care supplement that asks health questions, you must answer the insurer questions completely and to the best of your knowledge. This pre-contractual duty of disclosure applies to policies of this kind. According to the German Consumer Advice Centre, subsidised policies accept every person without a health check, while other policies may include health questions. Last updated: November 2026.
The key points in brief
- Health questions are not a formality. They form the basis of the insurer decision.
- You must answer questions to the best of your knowledge, even where you are unsure about individual points.
- Concealed pre-existing conditions can lead to withdrawal from the contract or a reduction of benefits.
- Subsidised policies are open to everyone without a health check, with a waiting period of five years, according to the Consumer Advice Centre.
- Before submitting, compare the application with your records and keep a copy.
What does the pre-contractual duty of disclosure mean?
Before an insurance contract is concluded, you must tell the insurer the circumstances it asks about. This is called the pre-contractual duty of disclosure. It applies regardless of whether you consider a question important. What matters is that you answer the questions asked, even where they seem unsuitable to you.
The duty relates to circumstances that matter for the insurer decision. In a dispute, the assessment usually follows the wording of the questions in the application. What counts is therefore what the application actually asks, and not your own view of whether something is relevant.
Which health questions are typically asked?
| Topic | Typical questions | What to pay attention to |
|---|---|---|
| Treatments | Doctor visits, hospital stays and examinations within a specified period | Even short treatments can be covered by a question |
| Diagnoses | Conditions of the back, nervous system or heart, or mental illnesses | Check period, course and conclusion of treatment carefully |
| Medication | Long-term medication or regularly prescribed drugs | Note name, dose and reason where asked |
| Care need | An existing classification or a pending application for a care level | Keep notices and applications |
The table shows typical topics. Which questions your application asks is stated on the form, and only its wording counts for your answers.
How should you answer questions when you are unsure?
If you are not certain of an answer, state what you know and name the area where you are unsure. Medical records help. A general practitioner can provide information on treatments, and your health insurance fund can tell you about benefits you have received.
Read every question carefully before answering, because the period in the question determines what must be stated. If a condition lies outside the period asked about, it generally does not have to be stated. If in doubt, ask the insurer or a counselling service.
What happens if information is missing or wrong?
Under the German Insurance Contract Act (VVG), anyone who conceals or misstates information risks the insurer withdrawing from the contract, terminating it or reducing benefits. How far these consequences reach depends on whether the breach was culpable and how the insurer responds. A withdrawal can in some cases still be examined later.
At the application stage the insurer generally has to inform you of the consequences of a wrong answer. Whether this notice was complete is a frequent point of dispute. Keep the application, your answers and all evidence.
What role do subsidised policies play?
According to the Consumer Advice Centre, subsidised policies must accept every person regardless of age and health. The insurer therefore cannot refuse anyone there. The waiting period under these policies is five years.
If you do not have to complete a health questionnaire, read the conditions all the same. Subsidised policies also have rules on waiting periods and adjustment of benefits that matter for your decision.
When do health questions come into play?
With policies that include a health check, the insurer decides on the basis of your answers whether and on what terms it accepts the application. This can lead to an additional premium, an exclusion of certain conditions or a refusal. How the insurer decides is set out in its documents.
Anyone comparing offers recognises differences in questions and conditions more quickly. A comparison is not a recommendation of particular insurers, but a look at questions and benefits.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to state every small detail?
You must answer the questions that are asked. If an application asks about treatment in recent years, a brief treatment belongs in the answer too. Your own assessment of how important a condition is does not replace an answer where the question covers it.
May I leave out earlier conditions if the application does not ask about them?
If a condition is not asked about in the application, there is generally no duty to state it. This changes as soon as a question covers the matter. What the application specifically asks is therefore decisive.
May the insurer request records from doctors?
Applications often ask for a release from medical confidentiality, which determines which bodies may provide information. Read it carefully before signing, because it is the basis for any follow-up enquiries. Ask which bodies are named and for which period the declaration applies.
What if the application is refused?
A refusal is frustrating for many applicants. Ask the insurer for the reasons and check whether other policies ask different questions. Providers make their own assumptions, so outcomes can differ.
What if my health changes after the application?
Circumstances can change between the application and the start of the contract. If your health changes before the contract is in place, inform the insurer and ask what consequences this has. Obtain the answer in writing before you sign.
Does a question also cover treatment without lasting effects?
That depends on the wording. Health questions often cover more than a lasting condition, because they also capture individual treatments, examinations or prescriptions. A treatment without lasting effects may therefore still have to be stated if the application asks about it.
What to do now
- Collect findings, doctors letters and medication plans before you start the application.
- Answer every question completely and mark uncertainties clearly.
- Read the release from medical confidentiality and the notice on the duty of disclosure before you sign.
- Keep a copy of the application and your answers.
Related articles
- Care reform 2027: what is settled and what is still in progress
- Daily care benefit: what it pays and who it suits
- Private long-term care cover at 25: sensible or too early?
- Disability cover or care supplement: which comes first?
- Applying for a care level: procedure, deadlines and assessment
Sources: German Consumer Advice Centre, guide on private long-term care insurance (as of 19.05.2026). The Consumer Advice Centre is not a public authority, and the information is taken from this page.
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
