Civil servant health aid (Beihilfe) is a central part of health cover for civil servants and trainees in Bremen. It pays a share of your costs, and you cover the rest with private health insurance. This guide sets out which Bremen rates we can document, where the sources are silent, and how to check your co-payment and tariff.
Short answer: In Bremen, civil servant health aid follows the Bremen civil servant health aid regulation (Bremische Beihilfenverordnung). As a rule, civil servants on probation without children are at 50 percent (status October 2026). We do not state the child rates, because the 2022 circular is outdated. We could not verify this rate with a primary source. We also did not verify a flat-rate aid as in Hamburg for Bremen. Status: October 2026.
The key points at a glance
- Civil servant health aid covers a share of your costs. The rest must be covered by a tariff.
- According to the same circular, the co-payment (Eigenbehalt) does not apply to pay grades A 5 to A 9. Trainees in A 13 are not in this group.
- We did not verify a flat-rate civil servant health aid (pauschale Beihilfe) for Bremen, which Hamburg does have.
- Before you choose a tariff, get the current rate from the aid office.
How civil servant health aid works in Bremen
Civil servant health aid is not insurance. It is a benefit from your employer, the state. Depending on the rate, it covers a share of eligible costs, for example medical treatment, hospital stays, medicines or aids. The rules are in the Bremen civil servant health aid regulation. The implementation notes refer to children of aid recipients who are entitled to trainee pay, but they give no percentages.
The rates themselves are set in the regulation text. We could not retrieve the full text, so we do not state a rate for civil servants or trainees as confirmed. Ask the Bremen aid office for the rate that applies to your pay grade and family.
Rates: what is documented
Co-payment: what you pay yourself
The co-payment is the part you pay yourself after aid and tariff. Two factors determine it: the rate and the benefits of your tariff. According to the circular of November 2022, the co-payment in civil servant health aid does not apply to pay grades A 5 to A 9. The rule therefore does not cover trainees in A 13. The aid office will tell you whether and how much co-payment applies to you.
Worked example (assumption)
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Doctor’s bill, eligible for aid | 300.00 euros |
| Aid at an assumed rate of 50 percent | 150.00 euros |
| Remainder that your tariff must refund or you pay | 150.00 euros |
Assumption: a 50 percent rate, used for calculation only. Your actual rate may differ. If your tariff refunds the remaining 150 euros, you have no co-payment. If it refunds less, the difference stays with you. The co-payment question is therefore always also a question about the tariff.
The right private insurance for civil servants and trainees
Civil servants and trainees with aid entitlement usually choose private health insurance that complements the aid. This is not automatic. The alternative is voluntary statutory insurance, which works without an aid share. We do not recommend particular insurers or tariffs. Check these points:
- Benefits for dentures, alternative practitioners, glasses and hospital stays, where aid often covers only part.
- Premium development in later years and possible premium adjustments.
- Waiting periods and health checks, especially with pre-existing conditions.
- Switching options if you later become a civil servant or your employer changes.
- The basic tariff (Basistarif) as a safety net has benefits fixed by law (§ 152 VAG).
Comparison: flat-rate aid
Hamburg has a flat-rate civil servant aid. Its handout names half of the costs of a comprehensive private health policy as the basic rule, applied for voluntarily and irrevocably (handout on flat-rate aid, Hamburg, status January 2024, in German). We have not documented a comparable entitlement for Bremen. If someone offers you flat-rate aid in Bremen, ask for the legal basis and check it with the aid office.
Frequently asked questions
Does civil servant health aid in Bremen also apply to trainees?
The implementation notes refer to children of aid recipients who are entitled to trainee pay. Whether you are entitled to aid yourself depends on your status, and the aid office can confirm it. Pay figures for teacher training are in our guide Teacher training in Bremen.
Do I need private insurance if I receive aid?
Aid covers only part of the costs. As a rule, you therefore need a private tariff that covers the rest. Whether statutory insurance is an option depends on your status. Its contribution is then based on your income.
What is the aid rate?
The aid rate is the percentage of eligible costs that your employer pays. It depends on the group, for example civil servants, children or spouses. An assumed rate of 80 percent means that the employer pays 80 percent of the eligible costs, and the tariff must cover the rest.
Who is responsible in Bremen?
The aid office of the state of Bremen is responsible. You will find contact details on the state’s pages and on your employer’s notice. Ask for the current rate and the co-payment.
What to do now
- Ask the aid office for the current rate that applies to you and your family.
- Get written confirmation whether a co-payment applies.
- Compare tariffs by benefits, premium and waiting periods, not by price alone.
- Check whether different rules apply to you as a trainee before you sign a tariff.
- Keep all notices, because you need them if a refund is disputed.
Related guides
- Civil Servant Health Aid: Rates and How It Works
- Civil Servant Health Aid During Training: Rates and Claims
- Beihilfe in Berlin: Bemessungssätze, Eigenanteil und passende PKV für Beamte
Sources:
- Implementation notes on the regulation on the grant of civil servant health aid, Bremen (in German)
- Circular no. 13/2022 on the BremBBVAnpG 2022, status November 2022 (in German)
- Handout on flat-rate civil servant health aid, Hamburg, status January 2024 (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
