hkk: additional rate and who is cheaper still
hkk charges 2.59 %; only 5 open funds have a lower rate, 1 of them nationwide.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Your contribution at hkk, 2026
€395
a month · additional rate 2.59 %
| Contributory income | €3,800 |
|---|---|
| Health insurance (14.6 % + 2.59 %), your share | €327 |
| of which hkk additional rate | €49 |
| Long-term care | €68 |
| You pay a month | €395 |
| Employer adds | €395 |
| A year (your share) | €4,740 |
Cheapest fund open in North Rhine-Westphalia: BKK firmus (2.18 %). You would pay €93 less a year. Rank 4 of 53.
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 2.59 % hkk 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 53 funds you can join in North Rhine-Westphalia, in euros
| # | Fund | Add. rate | You pay/month | vs today/year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BKK firmus · regional | 2.18 % | €387 | −€93 |
| 2 | BKK Public · regional | 2.50 % | €393 | −€21 |
| 2 | TUI BKK | 2.50 % | €393 | −€21 |
| 4 | hkk | 2.59 % | €395 | ±0 |
| 5 | Audi BKK | 2.60 % | €395 | +€2 |
| 6 | Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) | 2.69 % | €397 | +€23 |
| 7 | WMF BKK | 2.85 % | €400 | +€59 |
| 8 | HEK | 2.89 % | €401 | +€68 |
Minus = you pay less a year than at hkk. Company funds open only to their own staff are left out.
Handelskrankenkasse, known as hkk, is a substitute fund (Ersatzkasse) that the GKV-Spitzenverband list shows as open in every state. With an additional contribution (Zusatzbeitrag) of 2.59 % it is among the cheapest funds of all: only 5 of the 71 funds open to everyone charge less, and of those 4 are open only regionally. Among the substitute funds it has the lowest rate. An employee on €3,800 gross with one child pays €395 a month at hkk for health and care insurance, €71 a year less than at the official average rate of 2.9 %. The cheapest fund, BKK firmus, would cost another €93 a year less at that pay. In Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia hkk ranks 2 among the funds open to the public, because fewer regional funds are open there.
Who is ahead of hkk, and where you can join them
A low rate only helps if you are allowed to join. Regionally open funds accept only people living or working in certain states; hkk, by contrast, can be chosen anywhere. The table lists every open fund with a lower rate than hkk and where it is open.
| Fund | Additional rate | open in | You pay a month | vs hkk a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BKK firmus | 2.18 % | 10 states | €387 | −€93 |
| AOK Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland | 2.47 % | 2 states | €393 | −€27 |
| BKK Faber-Castell & Partner | 2.48 % | 1 states | €393 | −€25 |
| BKK Public | 2.50 % | 3 states | €393 | −€21 |
| TUI BKK | 2.50 % | nationwide | €393 | −€21 |
| hkk | 2.59 % | nationwide | €395 | · |
hkk cost for different groups
| Group | Base | Your share a month |
|---|---|---|
| Employed | €2,500 | €260 |
| Employed | €3,800 | €395 |
| Employed, maximum | €5,812.50 | €604 |
| Retired | €1,600 | €195 |
| Self-employed, no sick pay | €3,000 | €606 |
| Student under 23 | €855 | €140 |
If you are at a fund with a high rate today, hkk saves you a noticeable amount; if you are already at a cheap fund, another switch gains you almost nothing. From hkk to the cheapest fund, €93 a year remains on €3,800 gross, €143 at the ceiling. For the self-employed the gap doubles, because they carry the whole additional rate. For pensioners it roughly halves, since the pension insurance pays half and pensions are usually below salaries. How to compare beyond price is covered under finding the best health fund.
2027: wait or switch now?
Funds set their 2027 rates in December, and the official list shows them only from the day they apply. Switch to hkk now and you are a member from the month after next, tied for twelve months unless hkk raises its rate. Wait, and you lose nothing if your own fund raises its rate in January: the special termination right applies then. The deadline calculator works out the date. Employees then give their employer the new fund’s name; pensioners and family members covered free of charge need do nothing more, as the funds handle the notifications between themselves.