The BKK Herkules student health insurance costs 117.13 € a month in 2026 for health cover alone. With care insurance you pay 147.91 € under 23 or with a child, and 153.04 € from 23 without children. The additional contribution is 3.48 %. Student cover ends with the semester of your 30th birthday, after which the voluntary minimum without children is 285.81 € a month.
The BKK Herkules is open to students in Bayern, Hessen and Niedersachsen only. The pages of the fund we retrieved name no federal states. The GKV-Spitzenverband fund list is decisive for the area. Students can only be admitted if their home or study address is in this area.
At a glance: BKK Herkules facts
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Additional contribution 2026 | 3.48 % |
| Open to | regional: Bayern, Hessen, Niedersachsen (fund list) |
| Student insurance under 23 (health and care) | 147.91 € a month |
| Student insurance from 23, no children (health and care) | 153.04 € a month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, no children | 285.81 € a month |
| Voluntary minimum from 30, with a child | 277.90 € a month |
| Source and date | Additional contribution from the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list, as of 24 October 2026. Amounts calculated by us from the 2026 reference figures |
These amounts apply to compulsory statutory student insurance. The additional contribution is set by each fund and can change. The rate the fund itself publishes is the binding one. The fund states 117.13 € for student health insurance and 30.78 € or 35.91 € for care insurance on its page. Its home page refers to a planned reduction of the additional contribution from 1 October 2026, without a rate. The calculation in this guide follows the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list.
What does BKK Herkules student health insurance cost?
BKK Herkules 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 basis of 855 € a month, which matches the BAföG needs rate, and applies whether or not you receive BAföG.
- Basis: 855.00 € a month (475 € basic need plus 380 € housing allowance).
- Base contribution: 10.22 % of 855.00 € gives 87.38 €. The rate is seven tenths of the general rate of 14.6 %.
- BKK Herkules additional contribution: 3.48 % of 855.00 € gives 29.75 €.
- Health insurance: 87.38 € plus 29.75 € gives 117.13 €.
- Care insurance: 30.78 € (3.6 %) under 23 or with a child, 35.91 € (4.2 %) from 23 without children.
- Total: 147.91 € under 23 or with a child, 153.04 € from 23 without children.
The guide Zusatzbeiträge 2026 aller Krankenkassen (in German) shows how the BKK Herkules rate compares with all other funds. One percentage point of additional contribution equals 8.55 € a month for students. The hub Krankenkassen für Studierende (in German) lists all funds.
What applies at BKK Herkules from 25 and from 30?
Family insurance ends at 25
Until your 25th birthday you can be covered through a parent who 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 this 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). 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, for example on the second educational path or when raising children. The fund checks this case by case and semester by semester. The guide Studieren mit 30 (in German) gives details.
Once student insurance ends, you normally stay with BKK Herkules 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 3.48 % gives 17.48 %, which is 230.44 €.
- Care insurance: 47.46 € (3.6 %) with a child, 55.37 € (4.2 %) without children.
- Total: 277.90 € with a child, 285.81 € without children.
The minimum applies when your income is below it. 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 BKK Herkules?
A working student job or mini job usually changes nothing about your BKK Herkules cover while your studies remain the main activity. Weekly hours and earnings decide.
| Situation | Effect on health insurance |
|---|---|
| Working student up to 20 hours a week | The job triggers no health or care insurance contributions and student insurance continues. Pension insurance stays compulsory. |
| 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 €. |
This summary rests on the joint circular of the national associations on the employment of students. For borderline cases the fund decides case by case. The guide Werkstudent: 20-Stunden-Regel (in German) describes the details.
Which extra benefits and bonus schemes does BKK Herkules list for young members?
BKK Herkules lists the following offers on its pages. We report them without judgement. The details come from the fund and can change.
- One-off bonus: The page names a one-off bonus of 100 €, without further details on the conditions. Source: BKK Herkules, students, retrieved 25 October 2026, the page shows no update date.
- Subsidy for fitness, massage, acupuncture: 70 € a year as a subsidy for a fitness studio, massages or acupuncture without prescription. Source: BKK Herkules, students, retrieved 25 October 2026, the page shows no update date.
- Budget for health courses: 560 € a year as a budget for health courses with 100 % reimbursement. Source: BKK Herkules, students, retrieved 25 October 2026, the page shows no update date.
Which of these offers suit you depends on your situation. Current terms are set out in the fund’s articles of association and on its website. The statutory benefits catalogue is largely the same at all statutory funds.
How do you switch to BKK Herkules?
You register with BKK Herkules, and the new fund handles the cancellation with your previous fund. Section 175 SGB V sets the deadlines:
- Right to choose: As a student you must choose a fund no later than two weeks after compulsory insurance begins.
- Online application: Apply to the new fund. Its 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 the fund raises its additional contribution, you can give notice until the end of the month from which the higher rate applies. Notice only takes effect if you prove other cover.
The guide Krankenkasse wechseln als Student (in German) explains this in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Does BKK Herkules have a student tariff?
No. BKK Herkules offers statutory student health insurance. With the 3.48 % additional contribution, health insurance costs 117.13 € a month.
How high is the BKK Herkules additional contribution in 2026?
It is 3.48 % according to the GKV-Spitzenverband fund list. On the basis of 855 € that is 29.75 € a month. The average additional contribution is 2.9 %.
Until when am I covered by family insurance?
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 BKK Herkules cost at 30?
After student insurance ends, the voluntary minimum in 2026 is 285.81 € a month without children and 277.90 € with a child, both including care insurance.
Can I stay as a working student?
Yes. Up to 20 hours a week your student insurance continues. If you work regularly more, compulsory insurance as an employee may arise.
When can I leave again?
Generally after a twelve-month lock-in, or earlier through the special right of termination if the additional contribution rises.
Sources
- GKV-Spitzenverband, Krankenkassenliste (BKK Herkules additional contribution, as of 24 October 2026)
- BKK Herkules, students (retrieved 25 October 2026, the page shows no update date)
- BKK Herkules, students (retrieved 25 October 2026, the page shows no update date)
- GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on 2026 reference figures
- 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
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)
- Audi BKK for Students: Costs 2026, Over 30 and Benefits (in German)
- BAHN-BKK for Students: Costs 2026, Over 30 and Benefits (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
