What counts as an upgrade or downgrade?
You can change your private health plan with Feather anytime — fully online, with no paperwork. Most changes take effect from the next month. Upgrades usually require a health assessment. Downgrades usually don’t.
Upgrade
Upgrade
Moving from Standard to Plus or Premium
Switching from short-term to long-term coverage
Lowering your deductible (e.g., from €3,000 to €1,200)
Adding or increasing your "sick pay" (income protection)
Downgrade
Downgrade
Moving from Premium to Standard or Plus
Increasing your deductible (e.g., from €1,200 to €3,000)
Decreasing your "sick pay" (income protection)
How do I switch plans?
Request a change
Use the 'Manage my policy' button located in your private health policy page of your Feather account. Select 'Coverage change request' to explore your options and request your quote.Review your quote
We’ll send you a personalized offer and all documents to review and sign within 3-5 business days.Start your new plan
Once everything’s signed, your new plan will start on the 1st of the following month.
Upgrading without a health questionnaire using FLEX
If your plan includes the FLEX add-on, you can upgrade your plan or lower your deductible without a health assessment during special time windows, or after certain life events. You can use FLEX to switch to upgrade your plan (e.g., Standard → Premium) or to lower your deductible.
FLEX upgrade windows
Fixed time intervals
Fixed time intervals
You can apply to switch as of January 1 of the following year after 2, 5, or 8 full calendar years from the start of your insurance.
In this case you'll be notified by our team that you're eligible to switch your plan under this rule. January 31st is the deadline for using your FLEX option in these fixed time intervals.
After certain life events
After certain life events
You can switch between the 1st and 7th month after any of the following life-events:
You start receiving a retirement pension, such as a state pension (Deutsche Rentenversicherung), a pension from a professional pension scheme, or a private lifetime annuity, provided the contract existed for at least 5 years and starts paying at age 60 or later.
You increase your daily sickness benefit (“Krankentagegeld”) by at least 10%
You change your employment type, e.g., from employee to self-employed or vice versa.
After 2 years in a new self-employed role, following a switch from employment.
Simply let us know that one of these changes happened to you and we will guide you through the next steps on how to upgrade your coverage without needing to fill a health assessment.
Without the FLEX add-on, you can still upgrade, but a health questionnaire is required.
Switching from short-term to long-term coverage
Short-term health insurance cater to expats in Germany for a limited time, typically up to 5 years. While these plans provide essential healthcare coverage — often comparable or even better than public health insurance — they come within limitations: no cashbacks, fewer extras, and no premium stabilization as you age.
Important: you must switch to a long-term plan once you reach 5 years on your short-term policy, or as soon as you get permanent residency (PR) or German citizenship. This keeps your coverage compliant and uninterrupted.
If the upgrade is done within 1 month of receiving your PR or reaching the 5-year mark, no medical questionnaire is needed.
Ready to stay in Germany for the long term? Upgrading to a long-term plan gives you:
Cashback system: Enjoy financial rewards for staying healthy on long-term plans with a €0 deductible; something not available in short-term plans.
Comprehensive coverage: Long-term plans offer a wider scope of coverage, including additional preventative care treatments.
Long-term stability: Secure ongoing coverage that fits all visa and residency types, ensuring continuity in your healthcare plan.
Old-age savings: Long-term plans help build reserves when you're younger to keep premiums stable as you age. Instead of increasing premiums drastically, a portion of your contributions goes into savings that will offset higher insurance costs later in life. The earlier you switch, the lower your premiums will stay.