Written and produced by:
Humans of Allianz
He Didn’t Want Help. They Showed Up Anyway.
Melanie Hazlett
Senior Communications Specialist
Senior Communications Specialist
Nicolas Roa Santofimio
Senior Visual Editor
Senior Visual Editor
Watch the latest Humans of Allianz film!
When the Patient Companion Team from Allianz Private Health Insurance (APKV) first reached out to Laura’s father to offer support for his seriously ill daughter, he declined their assistance. The family had already endured a great deal.
For our dedicated patient companions, however, giving up was never an option. “That’s what we’re here for,” says Julia Gerke, Head of the APKV Patient Companion Team based in Unterföhring, Germany. “To support our customers – even when they haven’t yet realized that they need it.”
The team combines expertise with compassion, guiding customers and their families through complex medical situations. Support may include personalized telephone assistance before, during, and after hospital stays, identifying the most suitable rehabilitation clinics, or arranging essential medical equipment. Their aim is to ensure that customers receive the best possible care and treatment at every stage of their medical journey.
Discover how the APKV Patient Companion Team stood by a family in their time of greatest need – and helped guide their daughter on the path back to health – in the latest Humans of Allianz film.
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About Allianz
Last updated: August 7, 2026
The Allianz Group is one of the world’s leading insurers and asset managers, active in almost 70 countries and serving around 97 million private and corporate customers*. Our customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, including property, life and health insurance, as well as assistance services, credit and global business insurance. Recognized for the seventh consecutive year as the number one global insurance brand in Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2025 ranking, Allianz’s success is built on technology-enabled customer centricity – providing peace of mind, protection, and prevention for our customers and strengthening the resilience of individuals, communities, and societies. We are one of the world’s largest investors, managing around 791 billion euros** on behalf of our insurance customers. Furthermore, our asset managers PIMCO and Allianz Global Investors manage about 2.2 trillion euros** of third-party assets. Thanks to our systematic integration of environmental and social criteria in our business processes and investment decisions, Allianz received an MSCI ESG Rating of AAA (as of March 2026). In 2025, our 156,000 dedicated employees achieved a total business volume of 186.9 billion euros and an operating profit of 17.4 billion euros for our shareholders.
* As of December 31, 2025. Customer count reflects Allianz customers in consolidated entities that are part of the customer reporting scope only.
** As of June 30, 2026.
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