Choose or change statutory health insurance
The statutory health insurance funds include
- the Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse (AOK) of your place of employment or residence;
- any substitute health insurance fund;
- the company health insurance fund (BKK) for the company where you work;
- BKK or Innungskrankenkassen (IKK), which are open to all insured persons in your place of employment or residence by virtue of a statutory resolution;
- the Knappschaft;
- the health insurance fund with which you were last insured or had family insurance before the start of your compulsory insurance or entitlement to insurance;
- the health insurance fund with which your partner is insured (if you are married or in a registered civil partnership).
The agricultural health insurance fund is a special case: it only accepts farmers and their family members.
If you are co-insured free of charge through family insurance, you are automatically insured by your family member's health insurance fund.
If you belong to one of the following groups of people, you have additional options when choosing your statutory health insurance fund:
- Students can additionally choose the local health insurance fund at the location of their university.
- Pensioners can also choose the company or guild health insurance fund for a company in which they were employed.
- The health insurance fund with which one of the parents is insured can be chosen for:
- Persons who are to be enabled for gainful employment in youth welfare facilities.
- Participants in services for participation in working life as well as clarifications of professional aptitude or work trials.
- People with disabilities in recognized workshops for people with disabilities.
- People with disabilities in institutions, homes or similar facilities.
- People with disabilities who are voluntarily insured.
- Pensioners subject to compulsory insurance and pension applicants.
- Pensioners with voluntary insurance.
If you do not exercise your right to choose a health insurance fund or do not exercise it in good time, the health insurance fund with which you were last insured or with which you had family insurance will be responsible for you.
If you have never been covered by a statutory health insurance fund - for example, because you came to Germany from abroad - and you do not choose a health insurance fund, your employer can insure you with a health insurance fund of their choice.
You can apply for membership with the health insurance fund of your choice by post or - in the case of many statutory health insurance funds - in person at the office or online.
If you are required to take out health insurance for the first time or again - for example at the start of training, when you start working or if you change employer - you can choose a health insurance fund up to 2 weeks after becoming subject to compulsory insurance at the latest.
- Submit a membership declaration to the statutory health insurance fund of your choice.
- The health insurance company will send you a confirmation of membership.
- This confirmation will also inform you of your obligation to notify your employer.
- You inform your employer of your choice of health insurance company.
- Your training company or employer will then register you with the health insurance fund.
- The employer will then receive an electronic notification from the health insurance company about your membership.
If you would like to change your health insurance company and your compulsory or voluntary health insurance has not changed, you must submit a new application to the new health insurance company. As a rule, you must give your old health insurance company 2 months' notice to the end of the month. Your new health insurance company will then take care of the termination with the old health insurance company.
- Contact the health insurance company with which you wish to be insured.
- The newly chosen health insurance company will report the change of health insurance company to your previous health insurance company electronically.
- The previous health insurance company will confirm the end of your membership electronically to the new health insurance company within 2 weeks.
- The new health insurance company will inform you of the date of the change of health insurance company.
- You inform your employer about the change of health insurance company.
- Your employer will deregister you from the previous health insurance fund and register you with the new health insurance fund.
- The newly selected health insurance company confirms the existence of your membership to your employer.
- You have reached the age of 15.
- If all insurance requirements are met, the health insurance funds may not refuse your membership.
- Passport photo for the electronic health card
- Health insurance number or social security number
There are no costs for the application.
The notice period is 2 months to the end of the month.
If you become subject to compulsory health insurance for the first time or again: You can choose a health insurance fund within 2 weeks of becoming subject to compulsory insurance.
If you can take out statutory health insurance for the first time or again on a voluntary basis: You can choose a new health insurance fund within 3 months of becoming eligible for insurance.
So-called statutory commitment periods apply to the change of health insurance company:
- As a rule, you can only choose a new health insurance company if you have been insured with your previous health insurance company for at least 12 months.
- If you have taken out a so-called optional tariff, you are bound to your health insurance company for the duration of the term. As a rule, these are
- 12 months, for example with a deductible tariff.
- 3 years, for example with a sickness benefit plan.
It is not possible to change health insurance provider during this period.
- Exceptions to the statutory commitment period exist, for example, if
- You meet the requirements for free family insurance.
- you terminate your voluntary membership because you are switching to private health insurance or you are covered elsewhere in the event of illness.
- Your health insurance company has stipulated in its articles of association that the minimum commitment period does not apply if you switch to a health insurance company of the same type.
- If you become subject to compulsory insurance again, for example because you take up a new job, you can change health insurance fund immediately - without having to give notice to your previous health insurance fund and without having to observe the commitment period. The same applies if you change health insurance provider because you are taking out statutory health insurance for the first time or again on a voluntary basis.
- You have a special right of termination if
- your health insurance company increases the supplementary contribution rate or
- your health insurance company closes.
Processing normally takes around 1 to 7 working days.
In order to process and decide quickly, your health insurance fund must have the necessary information and any required documents in a complete and meaningful form.
The health insurance company decides on applications promptly, whereby the statutory processing period is adhered to in order to protect patients' rights.
Please note that the processing time stated is an average value for all health insurance companies. It may vary in individual cases.
The exact processing time also depends on the complexity of the individual case and may be longer. The same applies if documents or records are sent to you or your health insurance company by post.
- Forms: no.
- Online procedure possible: Many statutory health insurance companies offer an online procedure.
- Written form required: no
- Personal appearance necessary: no
- Objection
- Action before the social court
You can only choose private health insurance if you do not fall under the statutory insurance obligation. To be exempt from compulsory insurance, the following conditions apply, among others:
- Your income from employment must exceed the statutory annual income limit or
- You must be a civil servant or be self-employed as your main occupation.
Federal Ministry of Health
25.10.2021
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
