trainees
Starting your career marks the beginning of a new phase in your life. It's good to know that your health insurance is just as reliable as your decision to choose the right job. ZF BKK supports you with excellent benefits, personal advice, and fair premiums. So you can concentrate fully on your training.
Your advantages with ZF BKK
- Health bonus: You receive a €10 bonus for every preventive measure or healthy activity—with no limit.
- Digital doctor's appointment: With TeleClinic, you have access to medical advice around the clock. Whether from home, on the road, or abroad.
- Travel vaccinations: We contribute up to €250 per year toward recommended vaccinations for travel abroad.
- Optional premium payment: Receive up to €350 per year back if you do not claim any services other than preventive medical checkups.
- Contraception: Coverage for the pill and IUD until your 22nd birthday.
- HPV vaccination: Full coverage of costs – regardless of age.
- Alternative medicines: Up to €100 per year reimbursement for homeopathy and more.
Contribution rate – what you need to know
The amount of your contributions depends on your training allowance and is split equally between you and your employer:
- Health insurance: 18.00% (14.60% general contribution rate + 3.40% additional contribution rate specific to the health insurance fund)
- Long-term care insurance: 3.60%
– from age 23 and without children: 4.20% - Good to know: If your remuneration is less than €325 per month, your employer will pay the contributions in full.
Criteria for insurance
- Within two weeks of starting your training, you are free to choose your health insurance provider. If you do not make a choice, your employer will register you with your previous provider.
- If you are in school-based training without remuneration, you will remain covered by family insurance until you reach the age of 25.
Frequently asked questions
The law stipulates that certain services are subject to a co-payment. This applies to all insured persons aged 18 and over. However, no one should be financially overburdened by co-payments. Under certain conditions, you can therefore be exempted from further co-payments. You can find out more about this here.
Whether it's an internship, volunteer work, or a social year—the transition from school to work brings with it many individual situations. We'll show you what happens to your health insurance during these phases:
- Pre-vocational internship
If you do not receive any remuneration, you remain covered by your parents' family insurance. If you are paid for your internship, you are covered by health insurance yourself – just like trainees. - Voluntary military service
During your voluntary military service, family insurance generally continues. Medical care during this time is provided by the German Armed Forces. - Federal voluntary service
If you decide to do federal voluntary service, you are treated as an apprentice for insurance purposes. Your place of assignment will pay your health, nursing care, pension, accident, and unemployment insurance contributions. - Voluntary social year abroad
If you do a social year abroad, you can continue to be covered by family insurance, depending on your income. Please contact us before you leave so that we can clarify your insurance coverage abroad together. - Youth voluntary service (FSJ)
If you receive pocket money or benefits in kind such as meals or accommodation during your FSJ, you are required to have insurance in all branches of social security. These contributions are paid by your place of assignment.
If your placement is completely unpaid, you can remain covered by family insurance through a parent or spouse until you reach the age of 25.
