Health insurance: Higher cash contributions not yet off the table

For millions of insured persons, impending renewed raising from the health insurance contributions will not be off the table next year. From the federal budget in 2025, there is now no additional money, as the black and red coalition factions announced according to the final committee consultations of the Bundestag. Minister of Health Nina Warken (CDU) is still aiming for short -term steps to avoid increases in contributions from January.

It was only at the beginning of the year that there was a wave. Due to increasing billions of bills for care, the problems are increasing even further.

Warken said in Berlin: “Statutory health insurance is under financially massive pressure. The expenditure continues to grow significantly more than the income.” For hospital treatment as the largest cost block, they rose to 54.5 billion euros in the first half of the year – 9.6 percent more than in the first six months of the previous year. Expenditures for medical treatments in the practices rose by 7.8 percent to just under 27 billion euros and 6 percent for medicines to 28.9 billion euros.

Financial pressure despite excess

After the contribution attachments at the beginning of the year, the cash registers now booked a surplus of 2.8 billion euros by the end of June. However, this is only a snapshot and to enjoy with caution, explained Warken. Because the health insurers have to fill up with their very low reserves. They are currently at 4.6 billion euros, which corresponds to 0.16 monthly expenses – at least 0.2 monthly expenditure is required.

The top association of statutory health insurance companies (GKV) also warned against being calmed down by the half-year plus. “The output dynamics are unbroken in the first half of the year,” said CEO Oliver Blatt of the German Press Agency. It is a “good and important signal” that the government wants to keep the contributions stable. Blatt again demanded that the health insurers no longer have to spend more than they take. The increase in costs must be attributed to “a normal measure”. This could keep contributions stable.

Financial injection of the federal government is not enough

In order to relieve the cash registers, the federal government is already giving money from the household beyond the regular annual subsidy of 14.5 billion euros. For example, a loan of 2.3 billion euros is planned for 2025 and 2026, and an earlier loan of one billion euros should only be repaid later. According to the Ministry of Health, however, a gap of four billion euros remains for 2026. In terms of mathematical, it would be 0.2 percentage points in the contribution.

The government factions and the coalition committee just affirmed the goal of keeping the contributions as stable as possible according to the recently strong increases in 2026. “We are well aware of the high expectations and time pressure,” said Warken. If the “delta” stays that way, it will probably lead to premium increases. “But we still want to cushion the whole thing.” The aim is to avoid an increase in premiums from January, in addition to health insurance also for long -term care insurance.

Solutions are still sought in autumn

Specifically, in the direct consultations about the 2026 budget, solutions should be searched for, as Warken made clear. This wants to achieve the upcoming calculations of the so -called assessment group, which always determines an orientation value for the average additional contribution in the following year. Each cash register then specifies the specific additional contribution for your insured.

At the beginning of this year, the additional contributions rose to 2.9 percent on average. That was more than the expected increase by 0.8 points to the official orientation value of 2.5 percent. The overall contribution, which employees and employers share, also includes the general sentence of 14.6 percent of gross wages.

Commission is supposed to make suggestions earlier

Warken underlined the black and red destination to achieve long-term stabilization in addition to short-term steps. “Without profound reforms, the system can no longer finance itself.” A expert commission agreed in the coalition agreement is to start in September and not only present results in spring 2027, but in spring 2026. “The contribution increase that has almost become routine at the turn of the year must be broken,” said Warken.

The general local health insurance companies (AOK) warned of a “politics on the principle of hope”. Instead of acting resolutely, it is also waited for the fact that money still in the federal budget will appear somewhere, the head of the AOK association, Carola Reimann criticized. DAK boss Andreas Storm said: “In the event of health and care, we face an autumn of helplessness that insured persons and employers have to pay expensive next year.”

Suggestions for relief

The head of the Techniker Krankenkasse, Jens Baas said, said suggestions for quickly effective measures to stop the exploding expenses. With a view to the planned VAT reduction for gastronomy, he proposed: “The reduced sentence should soon apply to the schnitzel with fries. Why is that not possible with drugs?”

The board of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, Eugen Brysch, presented the government of the government. “The lights go out in health and long-term care insurance without tax funds.” The boss of the Social Association of Germany, Michaela Engelmeier, said: “Loans are not a solution, they only postpone the problem into the future.” Instead of risking new premium increases, non -insurance benefits from tax funds have to be paid.