Some Private health insurance plans include a no-claim bonus, guaranteed cashback, or both. The no-claim bonus is a once-yearly payout for keeping your claims within a set amount, while the guaranteed cashback is a fixed monthly payment that covers medical bills before you start receiving direct reimbursement. Both depend on the specific plan, and understanding how they interact helps you decide whether to submit a bill or hold onto it.
What is the no-claim bonus on private health insurance?
Some Private health insurance plans include a no-claim bonus: a fixed one-time payment for staying claim-free or keeping your claims for the calendar year within a set amount. You're eligible even if you submit claims, as long as the total stays within your plan's guaranteed cashback or deductible for the year. The longer you stay eligible, the higher the bonus grows.
The no-claim bonus is a voluntary benefit that is reviewed every year, so the amount can change and isn't guaranteed for future years, even if you stay eligible.
You're eligible for the no-claim bonus if you:
Are enrolled in a plan with old age savings, which has no time limit (Standard, Plus or Premium)
Kept your total claims for the calendar year within your guaranteed cashback or deductible for that year.
Were insured for all 12 months of that year
Are still covered when the bonus is paid out, usually between June and July of the following year
This bonus depends on your plan. For example, on the Standard, Plus, or Premium plan with a €0 deductible, you receive €300 in your first year, and it grows the longer you stay eligible: €400 after 2 years, €500 after 3, €600 after 4, €700 after 5, and €800 for every year after that. Your first eligible year starts on January 1.
Do I lose my no-claim bonus if I submit a claim?
Before submitting a bill, check your coverage overview. Purely preventive treatments, both outpatient and dental, don't count against the bonus. For anything else, just compare the bill against your remaining guaranteed cashback balance for the year.
Using your guaranteed cashback to cover a bill doesn't count as making a claim, and neither does a bill that falls within your deductible. Your no-claim bonus is only at risk once a bill exceeds that amount and the extra is paid out to you directly.
There's no rush either way: bills can be submitted up to 2 years after treatment, so you can wait until year-end and then decide whether to keep the bonus or submit for reimbursement.
What is the guaranteed cashback on private health insurance?
The guaranteed cashback is a fixed amount paid into your bank account every month on some private health insurance plans, meant to help cover medical bills as they come in. When you submit a claim, the cost comes out of that balance first, and anything left over at the end of the year is yours to keep.
The guaranteed cashback is different from a deductible. A deductible is money you pay before coverage starts and don't get back, while the guaranteed cashback is money paid to you.
How much guaranteed cashback do I get, and how does it work with claims?
The exact amount depends on your plan and is shown in your Feather account. The guaranteed monthly cashback is only paid if you pay your premium by direct debit — manual payments don't qualify.
For example, on a plan with €100 monthly cashback (€1,200 per year), a €2,000 bill submitted in March would draw the first €1,200 from your cashback balance, with the remaining €800 is reimbursed directly to you. Any further bills that year would then be fully covered.
Why do I need an active direct debit to receive the guaranteed cashback?
The guaranteed cashback is only paid for months where your Private health insurance (PKV) premium is collected by direct debit. Manual bank transfers don't qualify, so any month you pay manually is a month you don't receive the guaranteed cashback.
This matters more than it first appears. The full yearly cashback amount is always offset against your claims, whether or not you actually received the monthly payments. On a plan with €100 a month, the first €1,200 of your claims is set against the cashback either way. Paying manually means you lose the payouts but keep the offset. Setting up direct debit when your policy starts, and keeping it active, is the only way to receive what's already being counted against your claims.
Can I receive both the no-claim bonus and the guaranteed cashback in the same year?
Yes, the no-claim bonus and the guaranteed cashback are separate benefits on Private health insurance (PKV) and can both be paid for the same year. The guaranteed cashback arrives monthly while your direct debit is active. The no-claim bonus is paid once, usually between June and July of the following year.
Plans with a deductible instead of guaranteed cashback can still earn the no-claim bonus, but there's no monthly payment alongside it.
What is the cashback of up to €1,500 a year?
Up to €1,500 is the combined total of both benefits in your first full year on a Standard, Plus or Premium Private health insurance (PKV) plan with a €0 deductible: €1,200 from the guaranteed cashback paid monthly, plus the €300 no-claim bonus paid the following year if you are eligible. The figure is specific to the first year. The no-claim bonus grows with each year you stay eligible, so the combined total can rise each year.