Company Health Insurance Definition: Your Comprehensive Guide for 2025
16 May 2025
5
Minutes
Katrin Straub
Managing Director at nextsure
Are you looking for ways to enhance your company's appeal while also promoting the health of your employees? Corporate health insurance (bKV) offers an excellent solution for this. This article explains the definition of corporate health insurance and shows you how to make optimal use of this tool.
The topic in brief and concise terms
The company health insurance (bKV) is an employer-funded supplementary insurance that provides employees with better health protection and enhances employer attractiveness.
Contributions to the company health insurance can be tax-free and exempt from social security contributions as a non-cash benefit up to 50 euros per employee per month.
Important benefits for employees include access to private patient services, often without health checks and waiting periods.
What exactly is company health insurance?
The corporate health insurance definition describes a supplementary health insurance organized by the employer. It is concluded as a group contract for employees. This voluntary social benefit significantly enhances the attractiveness of the company. The employer usually covers the premiums, which are tax-deductible business expenses. Employees often enjoy immediate coverage without a health check. This makes company health insurance a valuable component of HR policy.
Maximising Benefits: The Advantage for Employers
Companies can increase their attractiveness by up to 79 per cent with a company health insurance (bKV). This presents a clear competitive advantage in attracting skilled workers. Employee retention is strengthened and satisfaction is increased. Fewer sick days and higher productivity are often the result. Contributions can be claimed as business expenses for tax purposes. Thanks to digital portals, administrative effort is usually low. A company pension scheme can usefully complement the bKV.
Employers benefit through:
Increasing employer attractiveness by over 50 per cent.
Reducing the turnover rate by up to 50 per cent.
Improving the company's image as a socially responsible employer.
Opportunity to deduct contributions as business expenses.
Low administrative effort due to digital administration.
These advantages make the bKV a strategic investment in human capital.
More Health Protection: The Advantages for Employees
Employees gain access to benefits through occupational health insurance that are similar to those of a private patient. This closes gaps in statutory health insurance. Often, health checks and waiting times are waived, allowing for immediate coverage. This is particularly valuable for pre-existing conditions. The employer usually covers the contributions. Family members can often be insured at favourable rates.
The most common benefits include:
Coverage of costs for dental prostheses and treatments.
Grants for visual aids such as glasses and contact lenses.
Benefits for naturopaths and alternative medicine.
Better accommodation in hospitals, e.g., double rooms.
Faster specialist appointments through special services.
These additional benefits significantly improve healthcare.
Calculating costs: What do companies invest?
The costs of a company health insurance policy (bKV) vary depending on the scope of services and provider. Monthly contributions per employee often range between ten and 50 Euros. Budget tariffs offer flexibility; here, an annual budget per employee is available. A budget of 600 Euros annually can, for example, cost around 30 Euros monthly. The expenses are tax-deductible as business expenses. Some providers offer a bKV with as few as three employees. The supplementary health insurance as a bKV is therefore also interesting for smaller companies.
Mastering Legal Frameworks and Contract Design
The bKV is based on a group insurance contract between the employer and the insurer. The employer is the policyholder, and the employees are the insured persons. The General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) must be observed in its design. Excluding certain employee groups (e.g., mini-jobbers) can be legally problematic. The employer's commitment and the insurance contract must be consistent. When an employee leaves, the bKV coverage through the employer usually ends. However, many insurers offer private continuation without a new health assessment. Sickness allowance insurance can also be part of the bKV.
Practical Examples: How Companies Successfully Implement Company Health Insurance
A company uses bKV for differentiation in the labour market and offers various service packages. A craft business uses bKV to reduce downtime. Faster appointments with specialists are an important component here. Even small businesses with as few as five employees can implement a bKV. The flexibility of the tariffs, such as budget or modular models, allows for tailored solutions. The private health insurance can be supplemented with bKV modules.
Typical service modules in practice include:
Dental prosthetics (e.g. 70 to 90 percent reimbursement of costs).
Visual aids (e.g. up to 300 euros per year).
Preventive examinations (e.g. extended cancer screening).
Alternative healing methods (e.g. osteopathy).
Inpatient additional services (e.g. single or double rooms).
Foreign travel health insurance.
These examples demonstrate the diverse applications of bKV.
Expert tips for the optimal design of your bKV
Define clear objectives for the introduction of a company health insurance scheme. Involve your employees in the selection of benefits to meet their needs. Carefully compare offers from different insurers, as the differences can be significant. Pay attention to the terms for continuing the contract when employees leave. Actively communicate the benefits of corporate health insurance to your workforce. Use the opportunity for digital management to reduce effort. A clear company health insurance definition helps all parties understand the concept.
Our expert tip: Regularly check whether the chosen elements of the company health insurance still meet the needs of your employees and your company. An annual review can be useful.
Your next step towards occupational health insurance
Company health insurance is a powerful tool for employee retention and motivation. It offers numerous benefits for both employers and employees. With careful planning and selection of the right provider, you can maximise the positive effects. Defining company health insurance is the first step towards understanding this valuable benefit. Take the opportunity to position your company as an attractive employer and sustainably promote your employees’ health. Also consider combining it with a company pension scheme to create a comprehensive benefits package.
Request an individual risk analysis now: Have your insurance situation checked for free and receive specific optimisation suggestions.
More useful links
Wikipedia provides a comprehensive overview of workplace health insurance.
The Association of Private Health Insurance (PKV) explains its position on workplace health insurance.
A press release from the Association of Private Health Insurance (PKV) highlights the success of occupational health insurance as a model for improved care and prevention.
The Federal Ministry of Health informs about workplace health promotion.
The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds offers information on prevention and workplace health promotion.
Destatis, the Federal Statistical Office, provides data on health insurance coverage.
Haufe offers an article on workplace health insurance in the context of employment law.
The topic page of Haufe compiles comprehensive information on workplace health insurance.
FAQ
Wer ist Versicherungsnehmer bei der betrieblichen Krankenversicherung?
Versicherungsnehmer bei der betrieblichen Krankenversicherung ist in der Regel der Arbeitgeber. Die Mitarbeiter sind die versicherten Personen.
Können Familienangehörige in der bKV mitversichert werden?
Ja, viele bKV-Modelle ermöglichen die Mitversicherung von Familienangehörigen zu vergünstigten Konditionen, oft gegen eigenen Beitrag der Mitarbeiter.
Was passiert mit der bKV bei einem Arbeitgeberwechsel?
Bei einem Arbeitgeberwechsel endet der Versicherungsschutz über den alten Arbeitgeber. Viele Versicherer bieten jedoch die Möglichkeit, den Vertrag privat fortzuführen, oft ohne erneute Gesundheitsprüfung.
Gibt es eine Gesundheitsprüfung bei der bKV?
Ein großer Vorteil der bKV ist, dass für die Aufnahme der Mitarbeiter in den Gruppenvertrag meist keine oder nur eine stark vereinfachte Gesundheitsprüfung erforderlich ist und oft keine Wartezeiten anfallen.
Ab wie vielen Mitarbeitern ist eine bKV möglich?
Manche Anbieter ermöglichen den Abschluss einer betrieblichen Krankenversicherung bereits für kleine Unternehmen ab drei oder fünf Mitarbeitern.
Welche Leistungen kann eine bKV umfassen?
Typische Leistungen sind Zuschüsse zu Zahnersatz, Sehhilfen, Vorsorgeuntersuchungen, alternative Heilmethoden, bessere Krankenhausunterbringung oder auch ein <a href="/solutions/subsolutions/krankentagegeldversicherung">Krankentagegeld</a>.
