BKK firmus: a low rate, but not open everywhere
BKK firmus charges 2.18 % and is open in 10 of 16 states; in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia you cannot join it.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Your contribution at BKK firmus, 2026
€387
a month · additional rate 2.18 %
| Contributory income | €3,800 |
|---|---|
| Health insurance (14.6 % + 2.18 %), your share | €319 |
| of which BKK firmus additional rate | €41 |
| Long-term care | €68 |
| You pay a month | €387 |
| Employer adds | €387 |
| A year (your share) | €4,647 |
BKK firmus already has the lowest additional rate of the funds open in Berlin. Rank 1 of 45.
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 2.18 % BKK firmus 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 45 funds you can join in Berlin, in euros
| # | Fund | Add. rate | You pay/month | vs today/year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BKK firmus · regional | 2.18 % | €387 | ±0 |
| 2 | TUI BKK | 2.50 % | €393 | +€73 |
| 3 | hkk | 2.59 % | €395 | +€93 |
| 4 | Audi BKK | 2.60 % | €395 | +€96 |
| 5 | Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) | 2.69 % | €397 | +€116 |
| 6 | WMF BKK | 2.85 % | €400 | +€153 |
| 7 | HEK | 2.89 % | €401 | +€162 |
| 8 | SKD BKK · regional | 2.98 % | €402 | +€182 |
Minus = you pay less a year than at BKK firmus. Company funds open only to their own staff are left out.
BKK firmus is a company health fund (Betriebskrankenkasse) that has opened its statutes to 10 German states: Berlin, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Bremen, Hesse, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt. Anyone who lives or works in one of them can join, whoever the employer is. According to the GKV-Spitzenverband list it charges an additional contribution (Zusatzbeitrag) of 2.18 %, the lowest of all funds open to the public anywhere; that is 0.72 points below the official average of 2.9 %. On €3,800 gross with one child, employees pay €387 a month for health and care insurance, €116 a year less than at Techniker Krankenkasse. Self-employed members with €3,000 profit save €184 against TK, because they pay the whole additional rate themselves. The rate says nothing about service, branches or extra benefits.
Open in 10 states, closed in 6
A company fund can open its statutes to individual states; it must then accept anyone who lives or works there (section 175(1) SGB V). BKK firmus has done so for Berlin, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Bremen, Hesse, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt. If you live and work only in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia, you cannot join. For those states the table shows the cheapest fund you can choose instead:
| State without BKK firmus | cheapest fund open | Additional rate |
|---|---|---|
| Brandenburg | TUI BKK | 2.50 % |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | TUI BKK | 2.50 % |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | AOK Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland | 2.47 % |
| Saarland | AOK Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland | 2.47 % |
| Schleswig-Holstein | TUI BKK | 2.50 % |
| Thuringia | TUI BKK | 2.50 % |
Home or workplace: what counts
Either place is enough. If you live in a state where the fund is not open but work across the border in one where it is, you can join through your workplace; for the self-employed and pensioners it is usually the home address that counts. If you move later, your membership continues even if the fund is not open at your new address, although a new membership would no longer be accepted there. Pick both states in the calculator above to compare the rankings.
What you pay at BKK firmus
| Situation | Base | Your share a month |
|---|---|---|
| Employee | €2,500 | €255 |
| Employee | €3,800 | €387 |
| Employee at the ceiling | €5,812.50 | €592 |
| Pensioner | €1,600 | €192 |
| Self-employed, no sick pay | €3,000 | €593 |
| Student | €855 | €137 |
When moving to the cheapest fund pays off
The gap to the most expensive open fund, BKK24 at 4.39 %, is 2.21 points. On €3,800 gross that is about €504 a year for an employee, more at the contribution ceiling. Coming from a fund with a middling rate, you save less; the calculator above shows the amount for your own fund. Deadlines are the usual ones: twelve months’ lock-in, switch to the month after next, immediately if your old fund raises its rate (work out the dates).
A low rate is neither a seal of quality nor a promise for next year. Whether a fund’s service, branches and extra benefits suit you is something to check with the fund itself before switching. The full list shows every fund filtered by state.