Sparkassen DirektVersicherung AG (S Direktversicherung Aktiengesellschaft)
Sparkassen-DirektVersicherung
Sparkassen-DirektVersicherung is a travel insurance for the Germany market with online purchase and 24/7 assistance.
Direct payment
For hospital treatment abroad, URV can issue a direct cost-guarantee (Kostenübernahmegarantie) to the treating hospital so the insured does not have to pay in advance; other costs (e.g. doctors, pharmacies) are usually paid by the insured first and reimbursed afterwards against original invoices.
Geographic scope
Worldwide (abroad)
Cover applies abroad only; the Federal Republic of Germany and the country in which the insured person is resident do not count as 'abroad'.
Unique selling points
- Sold in cooperation with Union Reiseversicherung (URV), a specialized travel insurer and partner within the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe.
- Worldwide 24-hour emergency service reachable 365 days a year for medical advice and coordination of treatment or repatriation.
- Choice of tariffs with or without a deductible, letting customers tailor cost against out-of-pocket risk.
- Available as a single-trip or annual policy with worldwide scope, optionally combined with foreign medical cover in one Travel-Paket.
- In hospitals abroad, customers typically do not need to pay upfront, as URV can settle costs directly with the treating hospital.
Coverage limits
Medical expenses abroad
Covered
Covers costs of medically necessary treatment (doctors, dentists, hospital incl. operations, prescribed medicines, remedies/appliances, alternative treatments) following illness or accident abroad. The T&C do not state an explicit maximum sum for this benefit.
Emergency medical treatment abroad
Covered
Emergency and acute treatment costs following illness or accident abroad are covered from the outset (free choice of doctors, dentists, hospitals abroad); no monetary cap stated.
Hospitalization abroad
Covered
Covers in-patient hospital treatment abroad, including operations, board and lodging, and accompanying-person costs for a hospitalized minor child; no cap stated on treatment costs. If another party (e.g. statutory insurer) already covers stationary costs, or if reimbursement of treatment costs is not claimed, a hospital daily allowance (Krankenhaustagegeld) of up to EUR 30 per day applies instead.
Outpatient treatment abroad
Covered
Covers consultations and treatment by doctors, dentists, licensed alternative practitioners (Heilpraktiker), physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths abroad, plus prescribed medicines and remedies; no cap stated.
Emergency dental treatment abroad
Covered
Covers pain-relieving dental treatment and simple necessary fillings, including provisional dentures and repairs to dentures/prostheses. New dentures, crowns and inlays are explicitly excluded.
Medical transport abroad
Covered
Covers transport by rescue services (ambulance, rescue helicopter) to the nearest suitable hospital and onward transfer to another hospital abroad if medically required, with no stated cap. If transport is not performed by a recognized rescue service (e.g. taxi), reimbursement is limited to EUR 30 per insured event.
Medically necessary repatriation transport to home country
Covered
Covers a medically sensible and justifiable repatriation transport back to Germany (or the insured's country of residence), e.g. when in-patient treatment is expected to last more than 14 days or when foreign treatment costs would exceed transport costs, including a medically necessary companion. Must be organized by URV/the emergency service; otherwise reimbursement is limited to the cost that organized transport would have incurred.
Repatriation of remains / burial abroad
Covered
If the insured dies abroad, the insurer covers the costs of a burial abroad, or alternatively the costs of repatriating the remains to the last permanent residence in Germany prior to crossing the border; no monetary cap stated.
Search, rescue and recovery costs
€2,500
Under the Auslandsreise-Krankenversicherung, search/rescue/recovery costs by public- or private-law rescue services are reimbursed up to EUR 2,500 per insured person and event, provided in-patient treatment immediately follows. Where the bundled Notfall-Service module (as in the Travel-Paket) applies, an alternative benefit of up to EUR 5,000 is available without requiring subsequent hospitalization.
COVID-19 treatment abroad
Covered
The general pandemic definition/limitation in the T&C explicitly does not apply to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19); COVID-19 illness abroad is therefore treated and covered like any other illness under the medical-expenses benefit.
Pre-existing conditions
Conditional
Treatment is excluded for conditions diagnosed before the trip if the insured knew there was a significant likelihood of deterioration during the trip. This exclusion does not apply if the trip is undertaken because a spouse/partner or first-degree relative has died, and unexpected deteriorations of chronic conditions remain covered.
Winter sports cover
No limit stated
No mention of a separate winter-sports benefit or exclusion was found in the reviewed documents.
Adventure sports cover
No limit stated
No mention of a separate adventure/high-risk sports benefit or exclusion was found in the reviewed documents.
Pregnancy complications abroad
Covered
Covers medically necessary treatment for pregnancy complications abroad, defined as premature births, emergency terminations of pregnancy, and miscarriages. General pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum-illness costs beyond these complications are excluded.
Personal liability abroad
No limit stated
No personal liability benefit was found in any of the reviewed documents for this product.
Legal assistance / bail advance abroad
€12,500
Only in Travel-Paket
Under the bundled Notfall-Service module, the insurer advances up to EUR 2,500 for court, attorney and interpreter costs, and up to EUR 12,500 for bail if the insured is arrested or threatened with arrest abroad. These are repayable advances (repayment due within 3 months of payout), not indemnity benefits.
24/7 emergency assistance service
Covered
A worldwide 24-hour emergency service is reachable 365 days a year (+49 211 5363-439) for medical advice, doctor/hospital referral, coordination of hospital treatment and rescue transport, and organizing care for accompanying minor children.
Key conditions
Assistance call deadline
In case of an insured event (illness, accident or death) under the Notfall-Service module, the insured (or their legal successor in case of death) must contact the 24-hour emergency service immediately.
Unauthorized treatment
If contractual duties (Obliegenheiten), such as notifying the emergency service or submitting original documents, are breached intentionally, cover is lost; grossly negligent breaches allow the insurer to reduce the benefit proportionate to fault.
Purchase while abroad
The policy can only be concluded before the trip begins, at the latest 30 days before the planned start of the trip (or, for last-minute bookings within 30 days, on the day of booking or within the following 7 days); it cannot be taken out once the insured is already traveling/abroad.
Chronic conditions
Unexpected deteriorations of the health condition in chronic illnesses remain covered, even though pre-existing conditions with a known significant risk of worsening during the trip are otherwise excluded.
Pregnancy
General costs of pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum illnesses are excluded, except for the specifically covered complications: premature birth, emergency termination of pregnancy, and miscarriage.
Pre-existing condition exclusions
Treatment of an illness diagnosed before the trip is excluded if the insured knew there was a significant likelihood of it worsening during the trip; exceptions apply if the trip was undertaken due to the death of a spouse/partner or first-degree relative, or if the worsening of a chronic illness was unexpected.
Coverage duration limit
Cover under the Auslandsreise-Krankenversicherung begins on crossing the border abroad and ends on returning to Germany, and is limited to a maximum of 56 days per trip (for both single-trip and annual policies); it can be extended if the insured is not fit to be transported home due to the insured event.
Documents
Policy specifics
Medical emergency expenses abroad
Coverage for emergency medical treatment, hospital care, and emergency repatriation when illness or accident occurs during travel
Source24-hour emergency assistance services
24/7 telephone assistance for finding doctors and hospitals, providing medical advice, and arranging medical evacuation
SourceMedically necessary repatriation
Coverage for medically justified and reasonable emergency transport back to home country in case of serious illness or injury
SourceTrip cancellation cost reimbursement
Reimbursement of cancellation fees if trip must be cancelled due to covered reasons (illness, accident, job loss, etc.)
SourceTrip interruption and extension
Coverage for costs if trip must be cut short or return is delayed due to covered medical or other emergencies
SourcePermanent residence in Germany
Only persons with permanent residence in Germany are insured under the outbound travel medical insurance
SourceExclude home country and place of residence
Medical coverage does not apply within Germany or in the country where the insured person resides
SourcePre-existing condition exclusion window
Not established from the insurer's documents
Illnesses known at time of booking or treated in 6 months prior to insurance purchase are excluded from coverage
SourceThird-party source, not the insurer's documentExclusion of treatment-purpose trips
Medical coverage does not apply if medical treatment abroad is the primary reason or one of the reasons for the trip
SourceDirect payment to providers vs. reimbursement
URV issues cost assumption guarantees (Kostenübernahmegarantien) to foreign hospitals/doctors; customer reimburses insurer where direct payment not possible
SourceSingle-trip enrollment deadline
For single trips booked 30+ days in advance: insurance must be purchased by 30 days before departure. For last-minute bookings (within 29 days): must enroll within 7 days of booking
SourceAnnual trip duration limit
Annual medical insurance policies cover individual trips up to 56 days duration; total coverage year-round
SourceSources
- https://reiseversicherung24.org/anbieter/urv-union-reiseversicherung/
- https://www.reiseversicherung-vergleich.info/fileadmin/insurances/pdf/urv-reiseversicherung.pdf
- https://www.reiseversicherung.com/reiseversicherungen/reiseversicherung_paket/flugreise_versicherung/urv_reisepaket_flugreise.html
- https://www.sparkassen-direkt.de/produkte/reiseversicherung
- https://www.urv.de/auslandskrankenversicherung