What is the Medical Practitioners' Pension Fund of Berlin?

Anybody who is a member of the Medical Association of Berlin, who is under 67 years of age at commencement of membership and not unfit for work within the meaning of the Articles of Incorporation of the Medical Practitioners' Pension Fund of Berlin, is a mandatory member. The obligation to participate is binding by act of law. 

Employed medical practitioners are subject to participation in the Medical Practitioners' Pension Fund of Berlin irrespective of the obligation to be insured in the statutory retirement pension plan. Membership in the Medical Practitioners' Pension Fund of Berlin entitles you to be granted exemption from the statutory retirement pension plan according to § 6 Para. 1 No. 1 SGB [German Social Code] VI. Exemption becomes effective from the start of your employment if the application is submitted within three months of taking up your employment. For each change of employment, a new application for exemption needs to be made.

The group of people to whom mandatory insurance applies also includes self-employed medical practitioners with their own doctor’s surgery or who work on a fee basis.

Employed medical practitioners who are exempted from the statutory retirement pension plan due to participation in the Medical Practitioners' Pension Fund of Berlin pay pension contributions in the amount of the statutory retirement pension contributions. The employer is legally obliged to pay half of the contribution amount to the pension scheme.

Employed medical practitioners who are not exempted from the statutory retirement pension plan have to pay – in addition to the statutory retirement pension contributions – pension contributions to the Medical Practitioners' Pension Fund of Berlin to the amount of 2/10 of the maximum contribution rate of the statutory retirement pension. To avoid this double burden, we recommend that you apply without delay for exemption from the statutory retirement pension plan via the Medical Practitioners' Pension Fund of Berlin.

Doctors with their own surgery or self-employed medical practitioners are also obliged to pay pension contributions (contribution rate: 15% of revenue). The minimum contribution on application is 0.2-fold of the general pension contribution. It is granted from the time of setting up the doctor's surgery until the end of the following calendar year without any income assessment. Subsequently, the highest compulsory contribution (= 1.0-fold of the general pension contribution), which corresponds to the maximum contribution of the statutory retirement pension, must generally be paid. Upon application and proof of income, a partial waiver of contributions may be granted.

To increase your pension entitlements, you can, if you wish, pay more than the 1.0-fold general pension contribution, for example the 1.1-, 1.3-, 1.5-, or 1.8-fold of the general pension contribution. Higher payments are also recommended for tax benefit reasons (pension contributions can be deducted as special expenses).

It commences after completing 67 years of age. The start of the pension can also be brought forward by up to 60 months, with fixed monthly deductions. This early old-age pension can also be used as partial pension of 30%, 50%, or 70%. Moreover, the old-age pension can also be postponed upon written application by a maximum of 36 months beyond the regular start of old-age pension. For each month of deferred pension, the pension increases by a cumulative supplement.

The widow’s or widower’s pension amounts to 55%, the orphan's allowance to 30% and the half-orphan’s allowance to 15% of the pension for occupational invalidity or old-age pension or, respectively, the entitlement to old-age pension at the time of death of the member.

Pension for occupational invalidity is granted upon the occurrence of a qualifying event, provided that at least twelve monthly contributions had been paid before that point in time (so-called waiting period). Contribution periods previously completed with a different professional pension insurance carrier in Germany will also be taken into account. The waiting period does not apply for occupational invalidity caused by an accident. 

Children’s supplement is granted in the amount of 10% of the pension for occupational invalidity.

Upon application, financial assistance for medical rehabilitation measures can be granted if curative treatment or follow-up treatment following major surgery is urgently required to prevent occupational invalidity.

A key benefit of the Medical Practitioners' Pension Fund of Berlin versus the statutory retirement pension plan is, amongst other things, that you already have protection against occupational invalidity after a short waiting period of twelve months of contribution. However, the requirements for admission to the occupational invalidity pension are met only if the profession as a medical practitioner can no longer be practised completely. There is no protection against occupational invalidity for the most recent role or position within the profession – as a specialist, for example – the protection is intended to apply when any professional activity within the entire spectrum of activities of medical practitioners is made impossible on medical and/or disability grounds. However, there is no reference to activities outside the profession. If this protection is not enough for you, then you should consider taking out a private pension for occupational invalidity.

The membership obligation ends upon appointment as a civil servant or soldier; upon transfer of professional activity to another professional association; or, upon leaving the Medical Association of Berlin.

Once you register as a member with the Medical Association of Berlin, you will receive the documents for registration with the Medical Practitioners' Pension Fund of Berlin. You may also contact us directly and request the necessary documents.