As a student with BIG direkt gesund you pay 118.93 € a month for health insurance in 2026. With care insurance the total is 149.71 € (under 23 or with a child) or 154.84 € (from 23, no children). The additional contribution is 3.69 %. Student insurance ends with the semester of your 30th birthday, after which the voluntary minimum without children is 288.58 € a month.
According to the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list, BIG direkt gesund is open nationwide. Its page for students names no regional restriction.
At a glance: BIG direkt gesund facts
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Additional contribution 2026 | 3.69 % |
| Open to | nationwide |
| Student insurance under 23 (health and care) | 149.71 € per month |
| Student insurance from 23, no children (health and care) | 154.84 € per month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, no children | 288.58 € per month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, with a child | 280.67 € per month |
| Source and date | Additional contribution from the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list, amounts calculated by us, as of 24 October 2026 |
These amounts apply to compulsory statutory student insurance. The additional contribution is set by each fund and can change. The rate that BIG direkt gesund itself publishes is the binding one.
What does BIG direkt gesund cost as a student?
BIG direkt gesund offers no freely selectable student tariff. It provides statutory student health insurance (KVdS, Krankenversicherung der Studierenden) under one formula. The contribution rests on a fixed assessment basis of 855 € a month and does not depend on whether you receive BAföG. On its student page the fund states 118.93 € for health insurance and 30.78 € or 35.91 € for care insurance. The page was retrieved on 25 October 2026 and shows no update date.
- Assessment basis: 855.00 € a month.
- Base contribution: 10.22 % of 855.00 € gives 87.38 €. The rate equals seven tenths of the general rate of 14.6 %.
- BIG direkt gesund additional contribution: 3.69 % of 855.00 € gives 31.55 €.
- Health insurance: 87.38 € plus 31.55 € gives 118.93 €.
- Care insurance: 30.78 € (3.6 %) under 23 or with a child, 35.91 € (4.2 %) from 23 without children.
- Total: 149.71 € under 23 or with a child, 154.84 € from 23 without children.
One percentage point of additional contribution equals 8.55 € a month for students. The guide Zusatzbeiträge 2026 aller Krankenkassen (in German) shows how the BIG direkt gesund rate compares with all other funds.
What applies at BIG direkt gesund from 25 and from 30?
Family insurance ends at 25
Until your 25th birthday you can be covered free of charge through a parent, provided the parent is a member of a statutory fund. This holds while your total income in 2026 does not exceed 565 € a month, or 603 € with a mini job (section 10 SGB V). The age limit can only be extended by periods of statutory or voluntary service, not by study time. From your 23rd birthday a care insurance surcharge for people without children applies, which adds 5.13 € a month. The glossary entry Familienversicherung im Studium (in German) covers free co-insurance in more detail.
Student insurance ends at 30
Compulsory student insurance ends when the semester in which you turn 30 ends (section 5(1) no. 9 SGB V). BIG direkt gesund states the same limit on its page. There has been no maximum number of subject semesters since 2020, so the age limit decides. An extension is possible if the type of training or personal reasons justify exceeding it. The fund checks this case by case. The guides Krankenversicherung als Student über 30 and Studieren mit 30 (both in German) give details.
Once student insurance ends, you normally stay with BIG direkt gesund as a voluntary member unless you prove other cover. A minimum assessment basis then applies. This is how the 2026 minimum contribution works out:
- Minimum basis: 3,955.00 € reference amount divided by 3 gives 1,318.33 € a month.
- Health insurance: reduced rate of 14.0 % plus additional contribution of 3.69 % gives 17.69 %, which is 233.21 €.
- Care insurance: 47.46 € (3.6 %) with a child, 55.37 € (4.2 %) without children.
- Total: 280.67 € with a child, 288.58 € without children.
With higher income the contribution follows that income, up to the contribution ceiling of 5,812.50 € a month.
What applies to working students and mini jobs at BIG direkt gesund?
BIG direkt gesund names a mini job limit of 556 € on its page for students. The 2026 value according to our fact base is 603 €, so the table below uses that figure. Weekly hours and earnings decide, and the other statutory rules are the same at all statutory funds.
| Situation | Effect on health insurance |
|---|---|
| Working student up to 20 hours a week | As a rule the job triggers no health or care insurance contributions, and student insurance continues. |
| Employment regularly above 20 hours | The working student privilege lapses and compulsory insurance as an employee may arise. It takes priority over student insurance. |
| Mini job up to 603 € a month | Student insurance continues. Under family insurance, mini jobbers have a limit of 603 € instead of 565 €. |
For borderline cases such as night work, semester breaks or several jobs, the fund decides case by case. The guide Werkstudent: 20-Stunden-Regel, Rentenversicherung und Semesterferien (in German) describes the details.
Which extra benefits and bonus schemes does BIG direkt gesund list for young members?
The fund lists the following offers without amounts. We report them without judgement. The details come from the fund and can change.
- Cost reimbursement for travel vaccinations and osteopathy, and professional teeth cleaning, each without an amount on the student page. Source: BIG direkt gesund, insurance for students (in German), retrieved 25 October 2026, no update date shown.
- Bonus programme of the fund: The home page only states that all measures can be managed online. The amount and the conditions are not given there. Source: BIG direkt gesund, home page (in German), retrieved 25 October 2026, no update date shown.
Which offers suit you depends on your situation. The current terms are published on the BIG direkt gesund website. The statutory benefits catalogue is largely the same at all statutory funds.
How do you switch to BIG direkt gesund?
You register with BIG direkt gesund and it handles the cancellation with your previous fund. Section 175 SGB V sets the deadlines:
- Right to choose: You can choose your fund freely from the age of 15. As a student you must choose a fund no later than two weeks after compulsory insurance begins.
- Online application: Apply to BIG direkt gesund. The new fund’s registration replaces the cancellation, and your previous fund confirms within two weeks at the latest.
- Notice period: Membership ends at the end of the second calendar month after the month of your notice. If you give notice in January, you switch on 1 April.
- Lock-in: You are generally bound to the new fund for twelve months. This does not apply if membership ends by law, for example when family insurance ends.
- Special right of termination: If your fund raises its additional contribution, you can give notice until the end of the month from which the higher rate applies. The twelve-month lock-in then does not matter. Notice only takes effect if you prove other cover.
The guide Krankenkasse wechseln als Student: Fristen, Ablauf und Sonderkündigungsrecht (in German) explains this in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Does BIG direkt gesund have a student tariff?
No. BIG direkt gesund offers statutory student health insurance. The contribution follows the legal formula and in 2026 comes to 118.93 € a month for health insurance with the 3.69 % additional contribution.
How high is the BIG direkt gesund additional contribution in 2026?
It is 3.69 % according to the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list. On the basis of 855 € that is 31.55 € a month. The average additional contribution is 2.9 %.
Until when am I covered by family insurance at BIG direkt gesund?
As a student until your 25th birthday, if your total income in 2026 does not exceed 565 € a month, or 603 € with a mini job. Student insurance normally follows.
What does BIG direkt gesund cost at 30?
After student insurance ends, the voluntary minimum in 2026 is 288.58 € a month without children and 280.67 € with a child, both including care insurance. With higher income the contribution rises.
Can I stay with BIG direkt gesund as a working student?
Yes, up to 20 hours a week student insurance normally continues. If you work regularly more, compulsory insurance as an employee may arise.
When can I leave BIG direkt gesund again?
Generally after a twelve-month lock-in, or earlier through the special right of termination if the additional contribution rises.
Sources
- GKV-Spitzenverband, fund list (BIG direkt gesund additional contribution and opening area, as of 24 October 2026)
- BIG direkt gesund, insurance for students (in German, retrieved 25 October 2026, no update date)
- BIG direkt gesund, home page (in German, retrieved 25 October 2026, no update date)
- Section 175 SGB V, exercise of the right to choose
- Section 5 SGB V, compulsory insurance, section 10 SGB V, family insurance, section 236 SGB V, assessment basis
- GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on 2026 reference figures
If you want to place your own situation, you can use the Academycon online check.
Related guides
- Krankenkassen für Studierende: alle Kassen im Überblick (in German)
- Zusatzbeiträge 2026 aller Krankenkassen und was Studierende zahlen (in German)
- Krankenkasse wechseln als Student: Fristen, Ablauf und Sonderkündigungsrecht (in German)
- Studieren mit 30: Chancen, Finanzierung und Alltag (in German)
- Werkstudent: 20-Stunden-Regel, Rentenversicherung und Semesterferien (in German)
- Familienversicherung im Studium (in German)
- AOK für Studierende: Beitrag, Aufnahme und Fakten (in German)
- Barmer und DAK für Studierende: Beitrag, Aufnahme und Fakten (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
