Health: Higher health insurance contributions in 2025 are getting closer

Health insurance is likely to become more expensive for many people with statutory health insurance in the new year. The average additional contribution as a benchmark for the health insurance funds for 2025 is 2.5 percent, as the Federal Ministry of Health announced in the Federal Gazette. That is 0.8 percentage points more than this year. The increase follows a calculation by the responsible group of estimators of an expected financial gap.

However, the health insurance companies determine the specific amount of the additional contribution for 2025 for their insured persons for themselves. The published average value serves as a guide; the funds may deviate from this depending on their financial situation. For 2024, the average additional contribution is 1.7 percent. The entire contribution that employers and employees share also includes the general rate of 14.6 percent of gross wages. If a fund increases its additional contribution rate, members have a special right of termination.

Experts calculated financial requirements

The group of estimators presented its annual calculation in mid-October. Accordingly, income of 294.7 billion euros is expected for 2025 – and health insurance expenses of 341.4 billion euros. This results in a mathematically necessary increase in the additional contribution by 0.8 percentage points to 2.5 percent to cover costs. The appraisal group includes experts from the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Office for Social Security and the umbrella association of statutory health insurance companies (GKV).

GKV spokesman Florian Lanz said: “It is depressing how rapidly health insurance contributions are currently rising and politicians are doing nothing.” Instead of a plan to finally put the care of the approximately 75 million people with statutory health insurance back on a solid financial basis, the government apparently indifferently relied on ever increasing additional contributions.