Health
Experts: 0.8 percentage points more health insurance contributions
Updated 10/16/2024Reading time: 3 min.
The costs in the healthcare system are increasing from year to year. And every autumn the question arises: How much will health insurance contributions increase next year? The answer this time: Clearly.
Health insurance could become noticeably more expensive for many people with statutory health insurance in the coming year. Experts from the so-called estimator group have determined a mathematically necessary increase in the contribution rate of 0.8 points to 2.5 percent of the contributory income for the federal election year 2025, as the Federal Office for Social Security (BAS) in Bonn announced. Politico had previously reported. However, the value is only a theoretical value. Each health insurance company decides for itself how much the contribution rate actually increases.
The appraisal group includes experts from the Federal Ministry of Health, the BAS and the umbrella association of statutory health insurance companies (GKV).
Specifically, it is about the increase in the so-called additional contribution. All those with statutory health insurance have the fixed contribution rate of 14.6 percent – half borne by employers and half by employees. In addition, the currently 95 statutory health insurance funds charge an additional contribution to cover costs, half of which is also paid by both sides.
The additional contribution varies and, according to a constantly updated GKV list, is currently between 0.7 and 3.28 percent. There is a fund below that does not charge any additional contributions. The average additional contribution rate charged by health insurance companies was 1.78 percent in August, as the Federal Ministry of Health announced.
According to the GKV, the forecast of the group of estimators is a theoretical size that results from the ratio of current income and expenditure of the health insurance companies as a whole. The health insurance companies’ expenses in 2025 are estimated at 341.4 billion euros. Based on this estimate, the Ministry of Health will announce an average additional contribution for the coming year by November 1st. The health insurance companies then determine the exact amount for themselves.
It is therefore not yet possible to provide precise information about the actual amount of costs for the individual. Mathematically, an increase of 0.8 percentage points on a gross income of 3,000 euros per month would mean 12 euros less net – the employer pays the other 12. If a fund increases the additional contribution rate, members have a special right of termination.
The health insurance companies had already warned at the beginning of September that their spending in the first half of the year had increased even more than in the first quarter. The deficit has grown to more than 2 billion euros and will reach up to 4.5 billion euros for the year as a whole.
For adequate financing, the additional contribution for the current year should not have been an estimated 1.7 percent last fall, but rather 2 percent, criticized the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds. He also announced that he expected an additional contribution rate of at least 2.3 percent for 2025.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) said in an initial reaction: “The German healthcare system is the most expensive in Europe because it is in many areas
is not efficient.”
A key reason for the rising health insurance contributions is rising expenses for hospitals at a record pace. “That’s why we need hospital reform.” This is to be decided in the Bundestag on Thursday and will put the financing of the country’s clinics on a new basis. The forecast from the group of estimators shows the necessity of the structural reforms initiated by the federal government, said Lauterbach.
According to the Ministry of Health, health insurance expenditure in the first half of the year was 161.3 billion euros – an increase of 7.3 percent compared to the same period last year.
Expenditure on hospital treatment increased by 3.6 billion euros in the first six months and was therefore a significant driver of the high spending dynamics, the ministry said in September. Increasing case numbers and rising nursing staff costs are among the reasons given. In addition, spending on medicines increased by 10 percent (2.5 billion euros) in the first half of the year.
Not only are health insurance contributions expected to rise, nursing care insurance is also experiencing financial problems. As was recently reported, the government assumes that the contribution rate will need to be increased by 0.25 to 0.3 points.