How much does health insurance cost with TK?

Calculate your health insurance costs

Whether you are an employee, self-employed, a trainee or student, with our TK contribution calculator you can find out your estimated contribution rate quickly and easily.

Cont­ri­bu­tion calcu­lator
With our TK contribution calculator you simply enter your monthly gross income and the calculator does the rest.

How are TK's health insurance costs made up?

In 2026, the TK contribution rate to health insurance is 17.29% of gross income. It consists of the general contribution rate of 14.6% and our supplementary contribution rate of 2.69%.

In Germany the health insurance contribution rate is shared equally between employers and employees. As an employee you therefore pay half of the general contribution rate, which is

7.3

%, and half of the TK supplementary contribution rate of

1.345

In most cases, your employer will transfer your and their share of the contributions directly to the health insurance and long-term care insurance.

In Germany, health care is only one part of social security. There are further contributions to cover all kinds of life aspects, these include

long-term care, pension and unemployment insurance

What are the general and supplementary contribution rates?

The general contribution rate for health insurance is paid by employees and the self-employed who are entitled to sick pay. Pensioners and retirees also pay the general contribution rate on their pensions and other pension payments, e.g., company pensions.

The reduced rate is paid by insurees who are in employment but who are not entitled to sick pay. For example, self-employed persons who have chosen health insurance cover without an entitlement to sick pay. Pensioners with voluntary health insurance cover who receive income from capital or renting/leasing also pay the reduced rate.

The supplementary contribution rate is set individually by each health insurance fund. It supplements the general or reduced contribution rate. As of January 2026, our supplementary contribution rate is 2.69%. It is therefore lower than the average supplementary contribution rate of 2.9%

Good to know: due to system changes there is a 2-month delay before the new supplementary rate takes effect for:

Pensioners subject to compulsory insurance.

Individuals who receive pension payments, e.g., company pensions, where the pension insurance provider or the paying agent withholds the contributions and transfers them to us.

What does it mean to be voluntarily insured?

The majority of employees, students and pensioners can usually only take out insurance with a statutory health insurance fund, like TK. However, self-employed persons or employees with an income above a certain level, for example, can choose whether they want private or statutory cover. As an employee, you are voluntarily insured if your regular income in

2026

exceeds the social security threshold of

77,400

EUR.

You and your employer share the costs of the general and supplementary contribution rate equally. You therefore both pay

8.645

% each in

2026

As a rule, your employer makes the payment and deducts your share of contributions to health and long-term care insurance from your salary. This is then paid directly to us together with the contributions to pension and unemployment insurance.

Statutory or private health insurance? Differences and advantages

How much does health insurance cost if I am self-employed?

If you are self-employed, you can get voluntary insurance cover with us. We calculate your

monthly contributions

based on your income - between

1,318.33

EUR (statutory minimum threshold) and

5,812.50

EUR (social security contribution assessment ceiling). Your contributions are always provisionally calculated based on your current income tax assessment. When you send us your new tax assessment, we will correct your contributions retroactively for the relevant calendar year.

How and when do I pay my contributions to TK?

If you pay the contributions yourself and not your employer, the most secure and convenient method is to set up a SEPA direct debit mandate with TK. This allows us to deduct your contributions from your bank account so that they are always paid on time.

SEPA direct debit mandate

PDF, 639 kB

German law requires that contributions be credited to the TK account by no later than the 15th day of the following month. This means that your contribution for April must be paid by 15 May at the latest. Of course, you can also use other payment methods. For example, you can pay your contribution via bank transfer yourself. To avoid any late fees or problems, your contribution must be credited to the TK account by the due date. The TK account number for your contributions to health and long-term care insurance can be found on your contribution and bank statements.

Why you do not find our bank details online

TK uses a specific bank account for each member. This allows us to clearly assign your contribution payments to you. Are you unable to find your specific TK bank details in your documents? The TK-ServiceTeam will be glad to help. Phone

+49 40 - 46 06 62 53 00

How am I insured if I am unemployed?

If you receive Arbeitslosengeld I [unemployment benefit I], you are generally subject to compulsory health and long-term care insurance. This means that you automatically remain insured with TK. The contributions during this period will be paid for you by the Agentur für Arbeit [Federal Employment Agency].

If you get Bürgergeld [Citizens’ Basic Income] and were previously insured with TK, you will also remain insured with TK. You do not need to do anything else; TK will automatically receive information from the Agentur für Arbeit about your benefits. Your contributions will be paid by the job centre.

If you don't get benefits from the Agentur für Arbeit, you can continue to be insured voluntarily with TK or you may be entitled to family insurance. Just call us on

+49 40 - 46 06 62 53 00

and speak to one of our English-speaking colleagues. We will then send you the relevant questionnaire.

You can also use the TK-App to notify us of changes to your circumstances.

TK-App

Quick, secure, uncomplicated: Take advantage of health insurance the smart way.