PassportCard’s currently published benefit information lists a 12-month waiting period for psychiatric treatment and for maternity and childbirth, among other entries. Further table rows state plan-specific periods of between four and 48 months. The same product site also contains broader wording about having no waiting periods. That conflict matters: marketing copy is not a complete statement of the policy terms.
In summary
- The public benefit table lists 12 months for psychiatric treatment and for maternity and childbirth, among other entries.
- Further table rows state plan-specific waiting periods of between four and 48 months.
- That does not establish one general waiting period for other benefits or plans.
- The public product wording is not internally consistent on this point.
- The offer, benefit schedule and policy wording govern a particular contract.
The periods currently stated
In the current versioned frontend asset, the benefit table states a 12-month waiting period for “Psychiatric Treatment” (inpatient) and “Psychiatric Services” (outpatient), and likewise for “Maternity & Childbirth”. The German version identifies the same areas.
The same table contains further periods that appear only in individual plan columns: 12 months for psychotherapy (Basic) and speech therapy (Executive), four months for acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy and TCM (Basic and Comprehensive) and 48 months for hearing aids (Executive).
Those entries support only the named areas and plan columns. They do not show that every other benefit starts immediately, or that every other benefit has a waiting period. The relevant start date, exceptions and further requirements must come from the documents supplied with the particular offer.
Why the general marketing line is insufficient
The same published web application uses broad “no waiting times” wording elsewhere. Its German version adds a footnote referring to plan-specific limits and possible waiting periods, and the English comparison rows themselves state 12-month waiting periods. The specific table entries and these qualifications rule out an unqualified reading of the marketing line.
Auslandspolice resolves this source conflict conservatively: we report the specifically documented table entries, do not transfer them to other areas or plan columns and do not treat the broad marketing line as a benefit promise.
What should be documented before purchase
For every important benefit, the offer and policy documents should make at least four points identifiable: the exact benefit, the length of any waiting period, its starting point and any exceptions. If a public page omits one of those points, that omission is not evidence of a more favourable rule.
For maternity, childbirth, psychiatric treatment and the other listed areas, the reader should also check which plan and benefit level the table refers to. The benefit table assigns its entries to individual plan columns, while a comparison row elsewhere states the psychotherapy waiting period without that plan attribution. Neither replaces the complete terms attached to an individual offer.
Compare the documents in sequence
Start by recording the product and plan name shown in the personal offer. Then check whether the attached benefit schedule uses the same name and version. Only after those details match should the reader locate the relevant benefit and any waiting-period entry.
A useful record contains more than the number “12 months”. It also identifies the benefit, plan, document date and exact location. That makes it possible to distinguish a statement taken from the public comparison table from one contained in the documents actually supplied with the offer.
If the marketing page, benefit schedule and policy wording do not agree, the difference should be clarified in writing before purchase. A verbal summary should not replace the documents. Auslandspolice cannot carry out that comparison for an individual policy, but documenting the public conflict shows exactly where a prospective customer needs a specific answer.
Limits of this guide
This article records the public information retrieved on 4 October 2026; the first review took place on 3 September 2026. It does not determine whether a particular treatment is covered, when a personal waiting period begins or which exception applies to a specific contract. The documents actually issued with the individual offer remain decisive.
More context on benefits is available on Coverage. Price factors are explained on Costs, and related topics are collected in the Journal.
This article documents public product information and does not assess a particular benefit.