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Statutory health insurance; application for membership

You are free to choose and change your statutory health insurance fund under certain conditions.

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Procedure details

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 a statutory resolution;
  • the Knappschaft;
  • the health insurance fund with which you last had membership or family insurance prior to the commencement of your compulsory insurance or entitlement to insurance;
  • the health insurance fund with which your partner is insured (if you are married or living 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 a family insurance, the health insurance fund of your family member automatically insures you.

If you belong to one of the following groups of people, you have supplementary options when choosing your statutory health insurance:

  • Students can additionally choose the local health insurance fund at the location of their university.
  • Pensioners can additionally choose the company or guild health insurance fund for a company in which they were employed.
  • The health insurance fund with which a parent is insured is eligible for:
    • Persons who are to be enabled for gainful employment in institutions for youth welfare.
    • Participants in services for participation in working life and in clarifications of occupational aptitude or work trials.
    • People with disabilities in recognized workshops for people with disabilities.
    • People with disabilities in institutions, homes or similar facilities.
    • Voluntarily insured persons with disabilities.
    • pensioners subject to compulsory insurance and pension applicants.
    • voluntarily insured pensioners.

If you do not exercise your right to choose a health insurance fund or do not exercise it in time, the health insurance fund with which you last had membership or family insurance is responsible for you.

If a statutory health insurance fund has never been responsible for you - 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 his or her choice.

  • You have reached the age of 15.
  • Provided that all insurance-law requirements are met, the health insurance funds may not refuse your membership.

  • Required document/s
    • Passport photo for the electronic health card
    • Health insurance number or social security number

You can apply for membership of the health insurance fund of your choice by mail or - in the case of many statutory health insurance funds - in person at the office or online.
If you are subject to compulsory health insurance for the first time or again - for example, at the start of an apprenticeship, when starting your working life, or a change of employer - you can choose a health insurance fund no later than 2 weeks after becoming subject to compulsory insurance.

  • Submit a membership declaration to the statutory health insurance fund of your choice.
  • The health insurance company will send you a membership confirmation.
  • In this confirmation, you will also be informed of your notification obligations to your employer.
  • You inform your employer about your choice of health insurance fund.
  • Your training company or employer then registers you with the health insurance fund.
  • The employer then receives an electronic notification from the health insurance fund about your membership.

If you wish to change your health insurance fund and there has been no change to your compulsory or voluntary health insurance, you must submit a new application to the new health insurance fund. As a rule, you must observe a notice period of 2 months to the end of the month with the old health insurance company. 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 would like to be insured.
  • The newly selected health insurance company notifies your previous health insurance company of the change in the electronic procedure.
  • The previous health insurance company electronically confirms the end of membership to the new health insurance company within 2 weeks.
  • The new health insurance company informs you about the date of the change of health insurance company.
  • You inform your employer about the change of health insurance fund.
  • Your employer deregisters you from the previous health insurance fund and registers you with the new health insurance fund.
  • The newly selected health insurance fund confirms the existence of membership to your employer.

There is no cost to you for the application.

The notice period is 2 months to the end of the month.
If you become liable for 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 are eligible for voluntary statutory health insurance for the first time or again: You can choose a new health insurance fund within 3 months after becoming eligible for insurance.

So-called statutory binding periods apply to the change of health insurance fund:

  • As a rule, you can only choose a new health insurance fund after you have been insured with the previous health insurance fund for at least 12 months.
  • If you have taken out a so-called elective tariff, you are bound to your health insurance company for the duration of the tariff. As a rule, these are
    • 12 months, for example, in the case of a deductible rate.
    • 3 years, for example in the case of a sick pay tariff.

During this time, it is not possible to change health insurers.

  • Exceptions to the statutory binding period exist, among other things, 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 fund has stipulated in its articles of association that the minimum commitment period does not apply when you switch to a health insurance fund of the same type.
  • If you are again subject to compulsory insurance because you take up a new job, for example, you can change your health insurance fund immediately - without giving notice to your previous health insurance fund and without complying with the commitment period. The same applies if you change your health insurance fund because you are taking out voluntary statutory health insurance for the first time or again.
  • You have a special right of termination if
    • your health insurance fund increases the additional contribution rate, or
    • your health insurance company closes.

Processing normally takes about 1 to 7 working days.
For rapid processing and decision-making, your health insurance fund must be provided with the necessary information and any required documents in a complete and meaningful manner.
The health insurance company decides on applications promptly, while adhering to the statutory processing time limit in order to protect patients' rights.
Please note that the processing time indicated is an average value for all health insurance funds. It may vary in individual cases.
The exact processing time also depends on the complexity of the individual case and may be longer accordingly. The same applies if documents or records are sent to you or your health insurer by mail.

You can only choose private health insurance if you are not subject to compulsory insurance. In order to be exempt from insurance, these conditions apply, among others:

  • Your income from employment must exceed the legally defined annual income limit, or
  • You must be a civil servant or full-time self-employed.

  • Objection
  • Action before the social court

Status: 29.08.2022
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bundesministerium für Gesundheit
Source: Federal Portal