IKK classic: additional rate for employees and master craftsmen
IKK classic charges 3.85 %; a self-employed tradesperson on €3,000 profit pays €662 a month with sick pay.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Your contribution at IKK classic, 2026
€644
a month · additional rate 3.85 %
| Contributory income | €3,000 |
|---|---|
| Health insurance (14 % + 3.85 %) | €536 |
| of which IKK classic additional rate | €116 |
| Long-term care | €108 |
| You pay a month | €644 |
| A year (your share) | €7,722 |
Cheapest fund open in North Rhine-Westphalia: BKK firmus (2.18 %). You would pay €601 less a year. Rank 39 of 53.
Chosen today: new fund from 1 January 2027, provided you have been a member for at least twelve months.
- Without sick pay the reduced 14 % applies; opting in costs 14.6 % and pays sick pay from week seven.
Step-by-step calculation
- Income €3,000 → contributory €3,000 (ceiling 2026: €5,813 a month).
- Health: 14 % general or reduced rate plus 3.85 % IKK classic additional rate, paid in full by you.
- 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 % | €593 | −€601 |
| 2 | BKK Public · regional | 2.50 % | €603 | −€486 |
| 2 | TUI BKK | 2.50 % | €603 | −€486 |
| 4 | hkk | 2.59 % | €606 | −€454 |
| 5 | Audi BKK | 2.60 % | €606 | −€450 |
| 6 | Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) | 2.69 % | €609 | −€418 |
| 7 | WMF BKK | 2.85 % | €614 | −€360 |
| 8 | HEK | 2.89 % | €615 | −€346 |
Minus = you pay less a year than at IKK classic. Company funds open only to their own staff are left out.
IKK classic is a guild health fund (Innungskrankenkasse), one that grew out of the health funds of the craft guilds; today the GKV-Spitzenverband list shows it open nationwide to everyone. Its additional contribution (Zusatzbeitrag) is 3.85 %, 0.95 points above the official average of 2.9 %. Of the 4 guild funds in the list it is number 2 on price, and it ranks 54 of all 71 open funds. For a journeyman on €3,800 gross with one child that means €419 a month out of pay. The rate hits the self-employed harder: they pay the additional rate and care insurance alone, €662 a month on €3,000 profit with statutory sick pay and €644 without it. Someone with profit at the contribution ceiling who moves to the cheapest fund open to all saves €1,165 a year. That figure does not measure benefits or service for businesses. The calculator above starts in self-employed mode and switches to employees, pensioners or students.
From guild business to open fund
Guild funds are a type of fund of their own, alongside the AOKs, company funds and substitute funds. They began with the craft guilds, but for the big IKKs the tie to a business is long gone: IKK classic accepts anyone, in whichever state they live. An employee in a craft business can therefore choose freely among all open funds, and the business has no say. The guild funds differ clearly on price among themselves, as the table shows for an employee on €3,800 gross.
| Guild fund | Additional rate | You pay a month | vs IKK classic a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| IKK gesund plus | 3.39 % | €410 | −€105 |
| IKK classic | 3.85 % | €419 | · |
| IKK Südwest | 3.87 % | €419 | +€5 |
| IKK - Die Innovationskasse | 4.30 % | €428 | +€103 |
Contributions for the self-employed and employees
| Member | Base | Own contribution a month |
|---|---|---|
| Self-employed, minimum base, no sick pay | €1,318.33 | €283 |
| Self-employed, no sick pay | €3,000 | €644 |
| Self-employed, with sick pay | €3,000 | €662 |
| Self-employed at the ceiling, with sick pay | €5,812.50 | €1,282 |
| Employee | €3,800 | €419 |
| Pensioner | €1,600 | €205 |
For the self-employed every tenth of a point of additional rate weighs twice as much as for employees, because no employer pays half. At the ceiling of €5,812.50 the difference between IKK classic and BKK firmus with sick pay comes to €1,165 a year. How contributions are assessed when profits fluctuate is explained under health insurance for the self-employed and voluntary membership.
Switching without asking the business
Employees choose their fund themselves; the employer must accept any choice and pays contributions to the new fund. The self-employed apply directly and enclose their latest tax assessment so the new fund can set the contribution. The new membership starts on the first day of the third month after the application, after at least twelve months of membership or straight after a rate rise (deadlines). Anyone who has taken out an optional sick-pay tariff is bound by it; the special termination right does not apply then.