bKV from DKV Deutsche Krankenversicherung: Plans, Benefits & Costs

Deutsche Krankenversicherung offers its employer-sponsored health insurance as a budget plan based on a single rate structure with four rate options. At its core is BonusMed Budget: Employers choose one of four budget tiers ranging from 300 to 1,200 euros per year per employee, from which outpatient services are reimbursed. This tiered structure allows the plan to be tailored to the company’s actual cost capacity without changing the structure of the plan itself—only the annual reimbursement limit increases or decreases.

This health care budget covers medications and bandages, therapeutic services such as massages, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, as well as assistive devices ranging from hearing aids to orthopedic shoes. Services provided by alternative practitioners in accordance with the GebüH fee schedule, naturopathic treatments, and osteopathy are also included in the range of reimbursable services. A sublimit applies to vision aids within the overall budget, meaning this category can deplete the annual budget more quickly than other types of services—a point employees should keep in mind when planning their expenses.

Optional inpatient services, such as treatment by the chief physician or a single or double room, are not included in the budget plan itself; they can only be added through separate add-on modules, as can a daily hospital allowance. In the outpatient sector, however, the plan stands out with preventive medical checkups and prevention courses under Section 20 of the German Social Code, Book V (SGB V), which are covered at 100 percent, as well as included protective and travel vaccinations and professional dental cleanings. The offering is supplemented by digital services such as a specialist appointment service and a medical hotline; video consultations, however, are not part of the budget plan but are provided through a separate partnership with TeleClinic.

It is important for employers to note that the collective bargaining agreement is available to companies with 10 or more employees, which makes it feasible even for small and medium-sized businesses.

Employees’ family members can be included in the coverage through a separate contract offering identical benefits; a three-month enrollment window is available for this purpose once the group health insurance plan has been established. If an employee leaves the company, they have the right to continue their coverage without undergoing another medical exam—the insurance then continues under the terms of an individual policy, ensuring that the coverage they have already established is not lost.

Thanks to its flexible pricing structure and low entry threshold—starting at 10 employees—this offering is particularly well-suited for small and medium-sized businesses that wish to introduce additional outpatient services without immediately needing a comprehensive inpatient package. External evaluations have been positive: Morgen & Morgen awards a rating of “Very Good” (4/5), Ascore also gives a “Very Good” rating, and the IVFP rates the plan as “Excellent.”

• BonusMed Budget (BBT) (Budget Plan): Budget tiers 300 / 600 / 900 / 1,200 EUR/year · 4 plan options · for companies with 10 or more employees

• Preventive medical examinations: Yes, + prevention courses 100% (Section 20 of Book V of the Social Code)
• Alternative Practitioner: Yes, according to the GebüH (included in the budget)
• Natural therapies: Yes, alternative medicine (physician/naturopath, Hufeland/GebüH)
• Osteopathy: included
• Medicines and medical supplies: Yes
• Therapies: Yes (massages, speech therapy, occupational therapy, etc.)
• Assistive devices: Yes (including hearing aids, orthopedic shoes, and insoles)
• Vaccinations: included
• Travel vaccinations: included
• Vision aids: with a sub-limit within the health care budget
• Professional teeth cleaning: included
• Daily Hospitalization Benefit: No, only through the separate BonusMed Daily Hospitalization Benefit module (BKHT)
• Optional services in the hospital: No, no inpatient services are included in the budget plan; optional services are available only through individual modules (BKUZ1/BKUZ2)
• Digital Health Services: Video Consultations (No, only through the TeleClinic partnership—online doctor visits are not included in the budget package) · Specialist Appointment Service · Medical Hotline
• Budget Carryover: No, unused budget expires at the end of the year; no carryover, no refund of contributions
• Upon leaving the company: Yes, right to continue coverage without a new medical exam under individual insurance terms
• Family Coverage: Yes, family members can be insured under a separate policy (same benefits, 3-month enrollment window)

The premium for the supplementary health insurance (bKV) is largely based on the selected budget tier: Employers set an annual reimbursement limit of between 300 and 1,200 euros per employee, and the premium amount follows this scale. The higher the selected budget, the more extensive the reimbursement for outpatient services—such as therapeutic agents, assistive devices, naturopathic treatments, or preventive care—can be over the course of the year.

Virtually all types of outpatient services covered by the plan—ranging from medications and bandages to treatments by alternative practitioners and professional dental cleanings—count toward the budget. Vision aids are additionally subject to a separate sublimit within the overall budget, meaning they can use up a larger portion of the available budget than other items. Optional inpatient services and daily hospital allowances are not part of the budget component and therefore do not affect its usage, as they must be booked separately.

If the annual budget is not fully utilized, the remaining balance expires at the end of the year. The balance is neither carried over to the following calendar year nor refunded—employees should therefore schedule upcoming treatments and purchases within the current budget year.

• Morgen & Morgen: Very Good (4/5) · 2025 — Rating
• Ascore: Very Good · 2024 — Rating
• IVFP: Excellent · 2024 — Rating