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Health insurance companies warn: Higher contributions despite government austerity package!
The GKV warns of rising contributions in 2026 despite the federal government's planned 2 billion euro savings package.
Health insurance companies warn: Higher contributions despite government austerity package!
More and more readers are wondering what the future of statutory health insurance (GKV) will bring in Germany. The current situation is anything but rosy: Even though the federal government has put together a savings package worth two billion euros, the Techniker Krankenkasse warns that these measures will not be enough to keep membership fees stable. This reports Antenna Münster.
The umbrella organization of company health insurance companies (BKK) emphasizes that many health insurance companies have to adjust their contribution rates in order to replenish their reserves. This suggests that insured citizens may have to expect higher additional contributions in the coming year. Health Minister Nina Warken has presented plans to curb spending at clinics, but an average additional contribution of over 3 percent in 2026 is still considered realistic.
Background of the additional contributions
The government's fundamental goal is to ensure the stability of health insurance contributions for millions of insured people next year - and yet the expectations do not seem to correspond to the real situation. The savings package is intended not only to close the coverage gap of two billion euros for 2026, but also to prevent the last waves of increases in contributions from being repeated at the beginning of 2025. On November 1st, the Federal Ministry of Health will announce an additional contribution to cover expenses for the coming year - a date that has already attracted a lot of attention, reports daily news.
Although the current plan also includes savings in administrative and research costs, the critics are on the rise. Among them are not only representatives of the opposition, but also patient representatives and country representatives who see the measures as inadequate. Green health experts criticize the government for saying that the contribution stability is more of an “optical illusion”, while others warn that the clinics are falling by the wayside as a result of these austerity measures. The hospital industry must expect permanent funding cuts.
What the cash registers expect
Tax audits and the estimation of additional contributions are crucial for the health insurance funds to overcome the financial challenges. According to estimates, the average additional contribution next year will be set at 2.9 percent - assuming that the replenishment of reserves is not taken into account. In view of the additional financial requirements of at least 0.1 contribution rate points that have already been forecast, the situation is anything but relaxed. However, the total contribution to health insurance remains constant at 14.6 percent of gross wages, regardless of the additional contributions.
It is important to know that if the additional contribution increases, all members receive a special right of termination. In the coming weeks, the individual health insurance funds will decide whether and to what extent they will adjust their additional contributions in order to be able to meet the financial challenges of 2026.
In this situation, it is more than advisable to follow developments closely. The volume of discussions is high and it has never been more important to be informed.