Finances: statutory health insurance companies with deep red numbers 2024

The statutory health insurance companies wrote deep red figures last year. The deficit was 6.2 billion euros, as the Federal Ministry of Health announced after preliminary figures in Berlin. The financial reserves of the health insurers were still 2.1 billion euros or 0.08 monthly expenses at the end of 2024. This did not even correspond half of the legally planned minimum reserve of 0.2 monthly expenses.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) said that the high deficit of the coffers in 2024 and the strong increase in additional contributions at the beginning of the year were not only the result of an inflation -related increase in expenditure on personnel and medical services. “You are also due to the fact that in the past legislative periods you have failed to modernize the health system and make the structures fit for the future.”

Suggestions for financial stabilization

Lauterbach pointed out the adopted hospital reform and stronger digitization. At the same time, he demanded: “We have to prevent the contribution rates from increasing. For this, the structural reforms have to be implemented further and more tax funds have to be taken in hand.” Among other things, the federal subsidy for non -insurance benefits, which has not increased since 2017, should be regularly dynamized.

In the case of statutory health insurance companies, income of EUR 320.6 billion was compared to EUR 326.8 billion last year. Performance expenditure increased by 8.1 percent, while administrative costs decreased by 0.6 percent. The biggest items were clinic treatments for which expenses compared to 2023 by 8.1 billion euros to 101.7 billion euros. The coffers spent 55.2 billion euros for medicines, 50.1 billion euros for medical treatments in practices.

Cash registers demand immediate action

The top association of statutory health insurance stated that at the end of this parliamentary term it was to be determined that the expenditure rose even faster than before. “This is just as frightening as it makes it clear that it has to be acted immediately,” said spokesman Florian Lanz. The association demands that there may be no longer any price or fee increases that go beyond the ongoing income. “We don’t want cuts,” said Lanz. Reproportional growth in the pharmaceutical industry, clinics and medical profession could no longer afford a contribution payer and no contribution payer.

Due to the rising costs, health insurance companies had increased contributions on a broad front at the beginning of the year. According to the ministry, 82 health insurance companies raised their additional contribution. He remained unchanged at eleven coffers after there were increases in 2024. On average, the additional contribution was 2.92 percent in early 2025 and thus higher than the official orientation value of 2.5 percent. In addition to the additional contribution that each cash register determines in itself, the overall contribution includes the general set of 14.6 percent of gross wages.