If you are a civil servant on probation during your Referendariat, you usually submit a claim twice: first to the Beihilfe office (state medical aid for civil servants) of your employer, then to your private health insurer for the remaining costs. This guide walks through the steps, the deadlines and a worked example, using the rules of Schleswig-Holstein as the main case.
Short answer: You send a Beihilfe application with receipts to the Beihilfe office of your state. In many cases copies are enough, and expenses older than two years are no longer reimbursed, as the example of Schleswig-Holstein shows. You then submit the Beihilfe notice with the remaining costs to your private insurer. Last updated: October 2026, the rules differ by state.
The most important points in brief
- Beihilfe is applied for at the Beihilfe office of your employer, not at your private insurer.
- Every expense needs a receipt. In Schleswig-Holstein copies or duplicates are sufficient.
- The deadline is decisive. In Schleswig-Holstein expenses are reimbursable only up to two years after the invoice date.
- The Beihilfe rate depends on your state. The standard rate for civil servants on probation without children is 50 percent.
- Your tariff pays the remainder that Beihilfe does not cover, if the tariff provides for it.
How much Beihilfe can you expect?
The Beihilfe rate defines the share of your medical costs that your employer covers. As a rule, civil servants on probation without children receive 50 percent. Some states deviate, and the rates are set in each state’s Beihilfe regulation. Whether you are a civil servant or in a public-law training relationship (öffentlich-rechtliches Ausbildungsverhältnis) depends on how you were appointed. The basics are explained in Beihilfe im Referendariat: Anspruch, Satz und Antrag (in German).
| State or rule | Beihilfe rate for trainees | Source and status |
|---|---|---|
| Standard rate without a deviating state rule | 50 percent without children | State Beihilfe regulations, please check your state |
| Hesse | 70 percent for outpatient and dental care, 85 percent for inpatient care, regardless of marital status | Leaflet of the Regierungspräsidium Kassel on the HBeihVO, status not stated |
| Saxony | 50 percent without children, 70 percent with one child or more | Secondary source covago.de, status not stated, to be checked against the regulation |
The figures are examples and can change. Ask your Beihilfe office for the current rate before you choose a private tariff. Only then do you see what remains with your insurer.
How do you submit the claim correctly?
- Check the invoice. Every expense needs a receipt, and the date, service and amount must be legible.
- Complete the Beihilfe application. Schleswig-Holstein uses two forms, one for general services and one for care. The first application also needs a fully completed data sheet and proof of your health insurance.
- Copy the receipts. In Schleswig-Holstein copies or duplicates are sufficient, and no certification is needed. Each receipt goes on its own page, including prescriptions, and printed reverse sides are copied as well.
- Send the documents by the route your Beihilfe office specifies. In Schleswig-Holstein post, email and the dBeihilfePlus app are possible, fax is not recommended.
- Keep a copy or photo of every receipt. Receipts are generally not returned.
- Wait for the Beihilfe notice and send the remaining costs together with the notice to your private insurer. The steps are explained in PKV-Rechnungen einreichen: So geht es richtig und schnell (in German).
Which deadlines and thresholds apply?
The rules differ from state to state. As an example, the table shows the requirements of Schleswig-Holstein, as published on the page last updated on 9 December 2025.
| Rule | Schleswig-Holstein (section 80 LBG and procedure) |
|---|---|
| Minimum amount | The claimed expenses must exceed 100 euros. Alternatively, Beihilfe is granted if expenses over ten months add up to more than 15 euros. |
| Forfeiture deadline | Beihilfe is only granted for expenses that are not yet two years old. The period starts with the invoice date, and the date of receipt of the application is decisive. |
| Advance payment | Possible for a single expense of at least 2,600 euros, or if the doctor does not carry out the treatment without an advance. Applied for in writing on a form. |
| Objection period | The date on which the notice actually reaches you counts. |
What do you still have to pay yourself?
Assumption: a treatment costs 300 euros, your Beihilfe rate is 50 percent, so Beihilfe covers 150 euros. The remaining 150 euros are for your private tariff to cover. How much is reimbursed depends on the tariff and its limits. The logic of the settlement is explained in Leistungsabrechnung in der PKV: So liest du Rechnung und Erstattung (in German).
For dental prostheses, medical aids or treatment abroad, a close look at the tariff pays off, because the differences can be large there. The Beihilfe rate alone says nothing about total cover.
What happens after the notice?
The notice shows which expenses are recognised and how much Beihilfe you receive. Check it immediately, because errors are easiest to fix within the deadlines. Post for state employees usually goes to the office and only in justified exceptions to your home address. Explain any delays in your objection.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to send original receipts?
No. In Schleswig-Holstein, duplicates or copies are sufficient. Ask your Beihilfe office to confirm whether it does the same.
What do I do if a claim is rejected?
File an objection and explain why the expense is reimbursable. The period runs from the day the notice reaches you, so keep an eye on when the post actually arrives.
Does the forfeiture deadline apply equally to every invoice?
The period runs for each expense from its invoice date. If you collect receipts and send them only at year end, you risk gaps. In Schleswig-Holstein the date of receipt of the application also matters.
Is there a separate form for care costs?
In Schleswig-Holstein, yes. There is one Beihilfe application for general services and one for care. If you have both kinds of costs, complete both forms.
What to do now
- Read the Beihilfe rules of your state and note the forfeiture deadline.
- Set up a receipt archive, ideally digital, with the invoice date for each receipt.
- Submit the first application with the data sheet and proof of your health insurance.
- Send invoices continuously instead of collecting them until year end.
- Compare the Beihilfe notice with your private settlement and check that the remaining amount is correct.
Related reading
- Civil Servant Health Aid: Rates and How It Works
- Civil Servant Health Aid for Trainees
- Health Insurance Between Your State Exam and Training
Sources: State government of Schleswig-Holstein, Beihilfe application procedure (DLZP), last updated 9 December 2025, schleswig-holstein.de. Regierungspräsidium Kassel, leaflet on the Hessian Beihilfe regulation (HBeihVO), status not stated, rp-kassel.hessen.de.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
