Statutory health insurance companies in distress: Higher additional contributions are imminent!

Statutory health insurance companies in distress: Higher additional contributions are imminent!

In Germany, legally insured patients may face higher additional contributions. The current financial situation of health insurance companies raises concerns Medical Journal reported. According to the Handelsblatt and the Federal Office for Social Security (BAS), the problems are significant: at the end of 2024, the financial assets of 45 of the 58 supra-regional health insurance companies were less than 20 percent of a monthly expenditure. What is worrying is that 22 of these health insurance companies no longer have any reserves.

The general contribution rate, which is set by law, is currently 14.6 percent of income subject to contributions. The additional contributions vary depending on the health insurance company and are on average around 2.5 percent. In the current year, six health insurance companies have already increased their additional contribution rates, and further increases are expected. In order to avoid financial bottlenecks, many health insurance companies increased their additional contributions at the turn of the year in order to build up assets.

Political measures and financial challenges

The Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) is considering measures to support both statutory health insurance (GKV) and social long-term care insurance (SPV). There is currently a financing requirement of around 6 billion euros in nursing care insurance from the time of the corona pandemic and around 10 billion euros for the care costs of citizens' benefit recipients Federal Ministry of Health noted.

Due to this financial burden, the opposition is forced to warn. Opposition politicians express concerns that a possible injection of 16 billion euros into the GKV and SPV should not be financed by debt. Paula Piechotta from the Greens emphasizes that she warns against misappropriation of debt by the Federal Minister of Finance.

Overview of contribution financing for pensioners

Health insurance contributions for pensioners subject to pension insurance come from various sources. Pensioners pay these contributions from both the statutory pension insurance and pension benefits, such as company pensions and self-employed income. Half of the contribution is borne by the pensioners and the pension insurance provider.

Recipients of a statutory orphan's pension or comparable benefits are also exempt from contributions within certain age limits. For voluntarily insured pensioners, on the other hand, all income that is used to calculate contributions is taken into account. This includes pensions, pension payments and self-employed income, while pensioners with higher company pensions only pay contributions on the amount of their income that exceeds the allowance of up to 187.25 euros per month.

Given these general conditions, the future financial situation in statutory health insurance and social long-term care insurance continues to be viewed with skepticism. The developments surrounding the additional contributions and financial support from the government could be crucial for the stability of the healthcare system in Germany.