Insurance terms

• Pflichtversicherung (Compulsory insurance): Insurance required by law. If you have a car, this includes motor vehicle liability insurance.
• Selbstbeteiligung / Selbstbehalt (Deductible): This is the amount that you are required to pay out of pocket if an insured event occurs. It may be a fixed amount or a percentage.
• Versicherer (Insurance provider): The company from which you purchase your insurance policy.
• Versicherungsnehmer (Policyholder): The individual who purchases a policy from the insurance company, normally you or a member of your family.
• Versicherungsfall (Insured event): The event that triggers payment from your insurance company (for example a car accident in the case of comprehensive motor vehicle insurance or illness in the case of health insurance).
• Versicherungsprämie / Versicherungsbeitrag (Insurance premium or insurance contribution): The one-time or regular amount that you pay to your insurance company. The insurance policy determines the amount and when it is to be paid.
• Versicherungsleistung (Insurance benefit): The benefit you receive from the insurance company if the insured event occurs. This may be a monetary amount or a replacement in kind. The latter term means that the damaged item is replaced, for example: A broken window is replaced with a new one. The maximum insurance benefit is defined in the insurance policy.