Members of the pension scheme are all members of North Rhine Medical Council (Ärztekammer Nordrhein) who are compulsory members of the same and perform a medical profession within the territory of this Medical Council.
If you were previously a member of another professional pension scheme, you can have the contributions paid to that scheme transferred to NÄV provided that there is a transfer agreement with the pension scheme responsible for transfer (under the existing transfer agreements, the number of transferable contribution months is limited to 96). For the contributions transferred, you receive pension benefits in the same amount as if you had paid those contributions during the relevant periods to us instead of to the previous pension scheme. If you would like to have the previously paid contributions transferred, please return the enclosed transfer application (Überleitungsantrag) so that we can take all further action required. The transfer application must be made within 6 months of taking up employment within the territory of North Rhine Medical Council.
Exemptions from membership
Exempted from membership are civil servants or employees entitled to retirement pension and survivors’ pension under civil-service law provisions, medical officers who are fixed-term military personnel or regular soldiers and - on the merits - physicians who had already reached the age of 45 years on 31.12.2004 and who were not yet members of NÄV at that time.
Complete or partial exemption can be given upon written application and submission of the relevant verification to physicians who
- became members of North Rhine Medical Council before 31.12.2004 and who are members of another public-law insurance scheme or pension scheme of their professional group outside the territory of North Rhine under an obligation prescribed by statute or an obligation based on statute and who continue their membership, if they pay contributions there at least equal to the pension contributions payable to NÄV (Article 6 (5) a) of the Articles of Association (Satzung)), or
- are civil servants on probation or with a limited appointment (Article 6 (5) e) of the “Satzung” or
- do no medical work (Article 6 (5) f) of the “Satzung”).