Anonymous Risk Inquiry:
Get Real Answers From Insurers —
Without Your Name Ever Entering a File
An anonymous risk inquiry (anonyme Risikovoranfrage) lets a broker ask insurers how they would treat your health history — without revealing your identity.
Key takeaways
- An anonymous risk inquiry (anonyme Risikovoranfrage) lets a broker ask insurers how they would treat your health history — without revealing your identity.
- A rejected formal application can be recorded and can make later applications harder. An anonymous inquiry avoids creating that record in the first place.
- It is the standard professional route for anyone with pre-existing conditions who wants private health insurance (PKV), occupational disability insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung, "BU") or life insurance in Germany.
- Typical outcomes: normal acceptance, a risk surcharge (Risikozuschlag), an exclusion (Leistungsausschluss), a postponement (Zurückstellung) — or a decline you learned about safely, with no trace.
- The service is free for you. We are paid by the insurer you eventually choose — and only if you choose one.
Last updated: 15 July 2026 · By Sven Günther Chalupa, licensed insurance broker (IHK Berlin, Reg. D-OWVA-2EQX5-48)
What is an anonymous risk inquiry?
An anonymous risk inquiry is a structured request that an independent broker sends to several insurers at once. It contains everything underwriters need to assess your risk — your year of birth, gender, occupation, the insurance you want, and an anonymised summary of your health history — but not your name, your address, or anything that could be traced back to you.
The insurers' underwriting teams review the case and reply with a realistic assessment: whether they would accept you, at what price, and under which conditions. Only when you decide to actually apply does your name enter the process.
In German this is called an anonyme Risikovoranfrage — and although it is standard practice among German brokers, it is almost unknown among internationals. Most expats simply apply directly. That can be a serious mistake.
Why applying directly can be risky
When you submit a formal application, two things happen that you cannot undo:
- The insurer's decision becomes part of your history. German applications ask whether you have ever been declined, deferred or accepted with special terms by another insurer — and this question must always be answered truthfully. Once you have a rejection, you must disclose it — and it makes every following insurer more cautious.
- Your data can be recorded in the industry's information system. German life and health insurers operate a shared hint-and-information system (Hinweis- und Informationssystem, HIS), where certain risk-relevant facts from formal applications can be registered. An anonymous inquiry never reaches that stage, because no formal application exists.
There is a third risk that has nothing to do with databases: guessing. Applicants with a health history often either give up without trying, or answer health questions "optimistically". The first costs you protection you could have had. The second can cost you the entire policy: under § 19 of the German Insurance Contract Act (VVG), breaching the pre-contractual duty of disclosure (vorvertragliche Anzeigepflicht) can allow the insurer to withdraw from the contract — often discovered exactly when you claim.
The anonymous route removes all three problems: you learn the truth first, disclose everything honestly, and apply only where you have a realistic offer.
How our anonymous inquiry works — step by step
- You tell us your situation — confidentially. We go through your health history together (conditions, treatments, therapy, medication, time periods). You can start the conversation without documents; medical reports help later but are not required for the first step. This conversation is covered by your explicit consent under Art. 9 GDPR and can be withdrawn at any time.
- We build the anonymised risk profile. Year of birth, gender, profession, desired coverage, and your health history in underwriting language — the way insurers' risk assessors actually read it. What we leave out: your name, your address, and anything that identifies you personally.
- We send it to multiple insurers in parallel. Typically 5–10 companies — more on request — whose underwriting is known to be reasonable for your type of history; different insurers treat the same diagnosis very differently.
- You receive the real answers. For each insurer: acceptance as standard, surcharge (and how much), exclusion (and what exactly), postponement (and for how long) — or decline. In writing, in plain English.
- You decide — or you don't. If there is a good offer, we prepare the formal application together, with health questions answered completely and correctly. If there isn't, nothing happened: no record, no entry, no trace of the inquiry in any file linked to you.
Timeline
Most insurers respond within 3 days to 2 weeks, depending on the complexity of your health history and the individual company.
What the possible outcomes mean
| Outcome | German term | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Normal acceptance | Normalannahme | Standard premium, full coverage — more common than most applicants with a history expect |
| Risk surcharge | Risikozuschlag | Full coverage at a higher premium (often 10–50 %) — usually still worth it |
| Exclusion | Leistungsausschluss | Coverage without one defined condition/body area — acceptable for some conditions, a real limitation for others; we assess case by case |
| Postponement | Zurückstellung | "Ask again in X years" — typically after recent treatment; we diarise it and re-inquire |
| Decline | Ablehnung | You learned it anonymously — your record stays clean, and other insurers remain open |
Who should use an anonymous inquiry?
Anyone applying for PKV, disability (BU) or life insurance with any of the following in their history: therapy or counselling (our detailed guide on mental health and disability insurance), ADHD, depression or burnout treatment; chronic conditions (asthma, thyroid disorders, diabetes, hypertension); past surgeries or ongoing physiotherapy; hazardous hobbies; or simply an unclear medical file from another country. If your history is completely uneventful, you don't need the anonymous route — we'll tell you so.
Frequently asked questions
This page explains the general process and does not replace individual advice. Insurance decisions involving your health deserve a personal conversation.
Sources: § 19 VVG (pre-contractual duty of disclosure, gesetze-im-internet.de/vvg) · Hinweis- und Informationssystem (HIS) der Versicherungswirtschaft — official information: informa HIS GmbH, www.informa-his.de (GDV) · PKV-Verband on medical underwriting.
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About the author: Sven Günther Chalupa is a licensed insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler) registered with the IHK Berlin (Reg. D-OWVA-2EQX5-48). He provides independent advice to expats and locals in Berlin, comparing 200+ insurance partners. Last updated: 15 July 2026.