The average supplementary health insurance contribution rate is poised to remain stable next year, according to the findings of the Statutory Health Insurance Estimating Panel (GKV-Schätzerkreis). This suggests that the expenditures of the statutory health insurers will rise significantly less in the coming year compared to the current one.
Federal Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) stated that achieving a stable average contribution rate is a major accomplishment, calling it a positive development following repeated increases. However, Linnemann cautioned against overly optimistic views, asserting that despite reforms, the financial condition of the health insurers remains strained. He insisted that the systemic problems within the statutory health insurance system must be resolved to establish a permanently solid funding foundation.
Currently, the spending dynamics have involved an annual increase of nearly eight percent since 2024. For the current year, an above-average increase of nearly seven percent is expected. Significantly, the growth rate is projected to drop below three percent next year. This change would allow revenue increases to cover expenditures for the first time in three years.
This improvement is primarily attributed to the GKV Contribution Rate Stabilization Act (GKV-BStabG), which is projected to relieve health insurance providers of costs worth up to 15 billion euros next year.
The GKV Estimating Panel, which comprises experts from the Federal Office for Social Security, the GKV-Spitzenverband, and the Federal Ministry of Health, is tasked with forecasting the revenue and expenditure development of the statutory health insurance system. Based on this evaluation, the Federal Ministry of Health announces the average supplementary contribution rate by November 1st.
The trends in contribution rates are heavily determined by how health insurers’ revenues and expenses evolve. Since 2022, the average cost-covering supplementary contribution rate has more than doubled, rising from 1.3 percent to 2.9 percent. This increase occurred because expenditures across nearly all healthcare services rose faster than the corresponding contribution-based revenues.
Looking ahead, the Health Finance Commission is scheduled to put forward further proposals for medium- to long-term structural reforms in the statutory health insurance system by the end of 2026. Based on this work, the German government plans to implement additional measures aimed at sustainable financial stabilization, complementing existing structural reforms, such as the emergency care reform.
