Bergische Krankenkasse

What Bergische Krankenkasse does

Bergische Krankenkasse is a German statutory health insurance fund (Betriebskrankenkasse / BKK) organized as a Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts (public law corporation), founded in 1871 in Solingen and headquartered there at Heresbachstraße 29. It operates under German social security law (SGB V), collecting mandatory health insurance contributions from insured members, employers, and pension funds, and is supervised by the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia. The fund serves individual insureds and approximately 18,500 employer accounts, with a regional footprint concentrated in North Rhine-Westphalia (Solingen, Solingen-Wald, Solingen-Ohligs, Cologne, Leverkusen, Wuppertal, Duisburg) and approximately 200 employees.

Its core product is the statutory health insurance policy itself, augmented by a digital ecosystem comprising the BERGISCHE App (providing electronic patient record / ePA access, e-prescription / E-Rezept, and a secure messaging inbox), the FlexiBonus² wellness rewards program (fitnesstracker up to €300, sports equipment up to €100, sports medical examination support, cashback), the Oli chatbot for first-level customer service, a German sign language consultation service for deaf members, the viatolea gut health application, preventive/vaccination reminders, an ICD-10 decoder, and a home-visit service. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via online self-service (5-minute membership application), customer centers, phone/video consultation, and a dedicated employer service team. The fund's commercial motion is layered with sports partnerships (official health partner of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Kölner Haie, WSV), community events (Sport im Park), employer BGM consulting, and content-driven social media channels (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, blog). Revenue is generated through regulated statutory contribution rates comprising a general contribution rate (§241 SGB V) and fund-specific supplementary contribution (Zusatzbeitrag, §242 SGB V), billed monthly.

Name

Bergische Krankenkasse

Legal name

BERGISCHE KRANKENKASSE

Website

https://bergische-krankenkasse.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1871

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

German statutory health insurance fund (BKK) founded 1871 in Solingen, operating as a public law corporation. Serves individual insureds and ~18,500 employer accounts across North Rhine-Westphalia via digital app, customer centers, and regulated premium contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Statutory Health Insurance

NAICS

Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers (524114)

SIC

Accident & Health Insurance (6321)

akta.pro primary industry

Large Group Health Insurance (Mid-Market & National Accounts) (FSAIAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Small Group Health Insurance (2–50/100) (FSAIAFAD)

Keywords

• Statutory health insurance
• Health insurance funds
• Preventive care services
• Digital health services
• Corporate health management

Headquarters

HQ city

Solingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Statutory Health Insurance Contributions: Mandatory health insurance contributions from insured members. Contributions are regulated by German social security law (SGB V). The company operates as a statutory health insurance fund (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) collecting contributions from employees, employers, and pension funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Bergische Krankenkasse is a German statutory health insurance fund (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) that provides mandatory and voluntary health coverage to insured members under German social security law (SGB V). It supplements core statutory benefits with a digital service ecosystem (BERGISCHE App, electronic patient record, e-prescription, chatbot), preventive care incentives (FlexiBonus² rewards, sports programs, dental cleaning bonus), accessibility services (sign language consultation), and dedicated employer account support for approximately 18,500 employer accounts in the North Rhine-Westphalia region.

Product overview

BERGISCHE Krankenkasse operates as a statutory health insurance provider offering a unified platform of digital services and traditional health insurance offerings. The core product is the health insurance itself (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung), supported by a digital ecosystem that includes the BERGISCHE App (featuring the electronic patient record/ePA, e-prescription/E-Rezept, and secure messaging inbox), the FlexiBonus² reward program for healthy lifestyle activities, the 'Oli' chatbot for member self-service, the Gebärdensprachen-Service for deaf accessibility, and the viatolea gut health app. Additional services include preventive care reminders, home visit services, and ICD-10 code lookup tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FlexiBonus²: Bonus program offering rewards for healthy lifestyle activities including fitness trackers up to €300, sports equipment up to €100, and cashback rewards.
• BroKK-Oli

Products and services

• BERGISCHE App Mobile application for insured members to manage their health insurance services, access electronic patient records, handle e-prescriptions, and use the secure digital messaging inbox (Nachrichtenpostfach) for communication with BERGISCHE.
• Elektronische Patientenakte (ePA) Electronic patient record service allowing insured members to digitally store and manage their health data, accessible via the BERGISCHE app.
• E-Rezept Electronic prescription module enabling digital processing of medical prescriptions, accessible through the BERGISCHE app.
• FlexiBonus² Bonusprogramm Bonus program rewarding healthy lifestyle activities with premiums including fitnesstracker up to €300, fitness studio membership support, sports equipment up to €100, cashback, and other rewards for preventive health activities.
• ChatBot 'Oli' Automated text-based chatbot providing first-level information on BERGISCHE services, health insurance topics, and procedures. Chat logs are recorded and stored for quality improvement, with data deleted after 60 days and no personal user data collected.
• Gebärdensprachen-Service (Sign Language Consultation) Sign language consultation service for deaf insured persons, provided in German sign language by trained staff either in-person at customer centers or via video conference.
• Hausbesuch-Service Home visit service allowing members to receive consultation and support at their residence.
• Vorsorge- und Impferinnerungsservice Preventive care and vaccination reminder service helping members stay on track with recommended health checkups and immunizations.
• ICD-10 Entschlüsselung Self-service tool allowing users to decode and look up ICD-10 medical diagnosis codes.
• Nachrichtenpostfach (Secure Messaging Inbox) Secure digital messaging inbox for communication between insured members and BERGISCHE, accessible via the BERGISCHE app.
• viatolea App Gut health monitoring application provided free for BERGISCHE insured members, helping track and improve digestive health in connection with sports activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20€ reward for each successful member recommendation
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bayer 04 LeverkusencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial health partner of the Bundesliga football club Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Partnership focuses on sports health, preventive care, and community health promotion through sports.
• Kölner HaiecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth partnership with the Kölner Haie ice hockey team, supporting sports health initiatives and preventive care programs.
• WSV (Wuppertaler Sportverein)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSports partnership with regional football club WSV for health promotion in the Wuppertal region.
• Barmenia VersicherungencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing health partner relationship with Barmenia Versicherungen from Wuppertal. Joint efforts in corporate health management, with BERGISCHE supporting Barmenia in achieving German Corporate Health Seal 2020 in Gold.
• BKK DachverbandcoreOthersMember of the BKK Dachverband, the umbrella organization for company health insurance funds in Germany. Represents interests and participates in industry-wide initiatives.
• Solinger Sportbund (SSB)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Solinger Sportbund to coordinate 'Sport im Park' program offering free outdoor sports courses in Solingen from May to August.
• SV Bayer Wuppertal e.V.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSports club partner for 'Gesundheit macht Schule' project promoting health-oriented sports activities in schools.
• City of SolingencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with the city of Solingen for health city initiatives. Collaboration on health prevention, innovation, and regional health infrastructure development.
• Kreissportbund Rheinisch-Bergischer KreisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth partner for health weeks organized by the district sports association, promoting sports and health activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Audi BKK: Open Betriebskrankenkasse with similar structure to Bergische — originally founded for a specific employer's workforce, now serving the general public. Comparable bonus program offerings and digital service investments.
• AOK Rheinland/Hamburg: Regional AOK (Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse) operating in the same North Rhine-Westphalia geography as Bergische Krankenkasse. Directly competes for the same statutory members in Solingen, Wuppertal, Cologne, Leverkusen, and Duisburg, making it the closest geographic peer.
• Pronova BKK: Open Betriebskrankenkasse with similar membership scale and nationwide reach to Bergische. Competes on bonus programs, preventive care benefits, and digital member services in the same SHI market segment.
• BKK VBU: Large open Betriebskrankenkasse operating across Germany with similar statutory insurance offerings, digital services, and bonus programs. Directly comparable BKK structure competing for the same nationwide member pool.
• BKK Mobil Oil: Large open Betriebskrankenkasse with similar nationwide member model to Bergische. Comparable business structure as a BKK competing in the same employer-sponsored statutory insurance market with similar digital and bonus program investments.
• KKH Kaufmännische Krankenkasse: Mid-sized statutory health insurer with similar member base size to Bergische and comparable nationwide open-enrollment structure. Directly competes on bonus programs, digital services, and employer-sponsored benefits.

Broad incumbents

• Techniker Krankenkasse (TK): Germany's largest single statutory health insurer by membership, serving more than 11 million members nationwide. Competes directly with Bergische for tech-savvy and white-collar members and operates with materially larger scale advantages.
• IKK classic: Germany's largest Innungskrankenkasse serving craft and trade industry members. Comparable statutory insurance structure with similar employer relationships and B2B service motion to Bergische's Betriebskrankenkasse model.
• Barmer: One of Germany's largest statutory health insurers with millions of members nationwide. Serves as a broader incumbent competing for the same NRW members with significantly larger marketing budgets and brand presence.
• DAK-Gesundheit: Major nationwide statutory health insurer competing directly with Bergische for members across Germany including in NRW. Offers comparable statutory benefits plus digital services at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1pye4qGQ1nE1r-GIryTsDg
• Facebookfacebook.com/diebergische
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bergischekrankenkasse
• Instagraminstagram.com/bergischekrankenkasse
• Xx.com/BERGISCHE

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bergische Krankenkasse