AOK Hessen: additional rate and the choice for commuters
AOK Hessen charges 2.98 %; AOK Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland and AOK Bayern are cheaper among the neighbouring AOKs.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Your contribution at AOK Hessen, 2026
€402
a month · additional rate 2.98 %
| Contributory income | €3,800 |
|---|---|
| Health insurance (14.6 % + 2.98 %), your share | €334 |
| of which AOK Hessen additional rate | €57 |
| Long-term care | €68 |
| You pay a month | €402 |
| Employer adds | €402 |
| A year (your share) | €4,829 |
Cheapest fund open in Hesse: BKK firmus (2.18 %). You would pay €182 less a year. Rank 8 of 50.
Chosen today: new fund from 1 January 2027, provided you have been a member for at least twelve months.
Step-by-step calculation
- Income €3,800 → contributory €3,800 (ceiling 2026: €5,813 a month).
- Health: 14.6 % general or reduced rate plus 2.98 % AOK Hessen additional rate, split half and half with the employer.
- Care: 3.6 %.
Estimate under Books V and XI of the Social Code. Your fund’s or employer’s calculation is binding. How we calculate
All 50 funds you can join in Hesse, in euros
| # | Fund | Add. rate | You pay/month | vs today/year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BKK firmus · regional | 2.18 % | €387 | −€182 |
| 2 | TUI BKK | 2.50 % | €393 | −€109 |
| 3 | hkk | 2.59 % | €395 | −€89 |
| 4 | Audi BKK | 2.60 % | €395 | −€87 |
| 5 | Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) | 2.69 % | €397 | −€66 |
| 6 | WMF BKK | 2.85 % | €400 | −€30 |
| 7 | HEK | 2.89 % | €401 | −€21 |
| 8 | AOK Hessen · regional | 2.98 % | €402 | ±0 |
Minus = you pay less a year than at AOK Hessen. Company funds open only to their own staff are left out.
Hesse (Hessen) has its own regional health fund, officially “AOK - Die Gesundheitskasse in Hessen”. The GKV-Spitzenverband list shows it with an additional contribution (Zusatzbeitrag) of 2.98 %, open in Hesse only. Among the 11 AOKs it ranks 4th, level with AOK Niedersachsen. Anyone living or working in Kassel, Frankfurt or Darmstadt pays €402 a month for health and care insurance on €3,800 gross with one child; pensioners with a €1,600 pension pay €198. In Hesse 50 funds are open to anyone, 7 of them with a lower rate. Because the Rhine-Main area spills across state borders, many commuters can pick a second regional fund: if you live in Mainz you can also choose AOK Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland (2.47 %), if you live in Aschaffenburg AOK Bayern (2.69 %). Compared with the official average rate of 2.9 %, AOK Hessen is €18 a year above at that pay.
Hesse in the middle: six regional funds all around
No other large state borders so many states with an AOK of their own, from Bavaria in the south to Lower Saxony in the north. For commuters between Hesse and Bavaria, Thuringia, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia or Rhineland-Palatinate, two regional funds are on offer: the one where you live and the one where you work. The table sets AOK Hessen against the regional funds around it, in euros for your own share.
| AOK | Additional rate | You pay a month | vs AOK Hessen a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| AOK Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland | 2.47 % | €393 | −€116 |
| AOK Bayern | 2.69 % | €397 | −€66 |
| AOK Hessen | 2.98 % | €402 | · |
| AOK Niedersachsen | 2.98 % | €402 | −€0 |
| AOK NordWest | 2.99 % | €403 | +€2 |
| AOK PLUS | 3.10 % | €405 | +€27 |
What AOK Hessen costs
| Situation | Base | Your share a month |
|---|---|---|
| Employee | €2,500 | €265 |
| Employee | €3,800 | €402 |
| Employee at the ceiling | €5,812.50 | €616 |
| Pension | €1,600 | €198 |
| Self-employed | €3,000 | €617 |
| Student | €855 | €144 |
With higher pay the gap widens, because the additional rate applies up to the contribution ceiling. Compared with the cheapest fund open to everyone, BKK firmus, AOK Hessen members pay €182 a year more on €3,800 gross and €279 at the ceiling. Whether BKK firmus is open in Hesse is shown in the ranking; the list by state brings every fund open in Hesse together.
Joining and leaving
You can join if you live or work in Hesse; to leave, apply to another fund, which reports the switch. Notice runs to the end of the month after next, whatever day of the month you apply. If AOK Hessen raises its rate, the twelve-month lock-in falls away. Family members covered free of charge move with the member, with no application of their own. Employees tell their employer the new fund; pensioners need do nothing, as the new fund informs the pension insurance. If you live near a border, set the neighbouring state, Rhineland-Palatinate, in the calculator above and use the deadline calculator.