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Membership in the Pension Fund is mandatory for anyone who is a member of the Hamburg Medical Association, who is younger than 67 years at the beginning of the membership and who is not occupationally disabled within the meaning of our Articles of Incorporation. This obligation to participate is binding by law.

Employed physicians are required to participate in the Pension Fund of the Hamburg Medical Association irrespective of their obligation to be insured under the statutory pension insurance scheme (DRV = Deutsche Rentenversicherung). However, our members are entitled to exemption from the DRV in accordance with Section 6 (1) No. 1 SGB VI. 1 No. 1 SGB VI. The exemption takes effect at the beginning of the employment if the application is made within three months of taking up employment. A new application for exemption must be made with every change of employment.  

In addition, membership is also mandatory for self-employed physicians who run their own practice or work on a fee basis.

Employed physicians who are exempt from the DRV pay pension contributions to the Pension Fund that equal the amount they would have had to pay the DRV - we refer to this amount as the general pension contribution. Their employer is required by law to pay half of the contribution amount to the Pension Fund.

Employed physicians who are not exempt from statutory pension insurance must - in addition to the contributions to the DRV - pay pension contributions to the Pension Fund of the Hamburg Medical Association amounting to 0.1 times of the maximum DRV contribution rate. In order to avoid this double burden, we recommend that you immediately submit an application for exemption from the DRV when taking up employment as a physician in Hamburg .

Physicians with their own practice or self-employed physicians are subject to pension insurance with a contribution rate of 15% of their revenues. In most cases, the maximum mandatory contribution which corresponds to the general pension contribution is paid. Upon application and proof of income, a partial exemption from contributions may be granted. The minimum contribution is 0.1 times the general pension contribution.

To increase your pension entitlements, you can voluntarily pay more than the maximum mandatory contribution, i.e., 1.1, 1.3 or 1.5 times the general pension contribution. Higher contributions to the Pension Fund can be advantageous due to tax reasons because pension contributions can be deducted as special expenses.

In most cases, the regular old-age pension begins after you reach the age of 67. Upon retiring you will receive a monthly old-age pension from the Pension Fund. The start of your pension can also be brought forward by up to 60 months, with fixed monthly deductions from your pension payments. In addition, this early retirement pension can also be taken as a part-time pension of 30%, 50% or 70% - meaning that you receive parts of your pension payments while still working as a physician. In addition, the old-age pension can be postponed by a maximum of 36 months beyond your regular pension date upon written request. For each month of deferred pension, the pension increases by a cumulative supplement.

In case of your death, a widow's or widower's pension of 70%, an orphan's pension of 30% and/or a half-orphan's pension of 15% of the occupational disability (if qou were still working as a physician) or old-age pension (if you were already retired) is paid to your dependents.

If you are no longer able to work as a physician, you will be paid an occupational disability pension. A significant advantage of the Pension Fund of the Hamburg Medical Association over the statutory pension insurance is, among other things, that you already have protection against occupational disability after paying the first contribution. However, the requirements for inclusion in the occupational disability pension are only met if you can no longer fully exercise your profession as a physician. There is no occupational disability protection for the last function or position in the profession - for example, as a specialist - but is intended to take effect when a professional activity within the entire spectrum of medical activities is no longer possible for medical and/or disability-related reasons. However, there is no reference to an activity outside the profession. If this protection is not sufficient for you, you should consider taking out a private occupational disability pension.

Contribution periods completed with another professional pension insurance institutions in Germany are also taken into account. A child supplement of additional 15% of the occupational disability pension per child can be granted upon request.

In addition, financial support for medical rehabilitation measures can be granted upon application if curative treatment or follow-up curative treatment after a major operation is urgently required in order to avoid occupational disability.

The obligation to be a member ends with your resignation from the Hamburg Medical Association, with the transfer of your professional activity to another professional chamber or with the appointment as a civil servant or soldier.

If you register as a member with the Hamburg Medical Association, you will receive the documents for registering with the Pension Fund of the Hamburg Medical Association. You can also contact us directly and request the necessary documents.