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High earners have a duty: there is a risk of higher health insurance contributions!
The SPD and the Greens are calling for higher health insurance contributions for high earners. Health spending is increasing, contribution assessment limits are changing.
High earners have a duty: there is a risk of higher health insurance contributions!
In view of rising health costs and the threat of increases in contributions to statutory health insurance (GKV), the SPD and the Greens have made a push to increase the contribution assessment limit. The current limit is 5,512.50 euros per month. This proposal could result in an increase of around 2,500 euros in statutory health insurance contributions, which would primarily affect high-earning employees. Christos Pantazis from the SPD emphasizes the need for open discussions about the financing issues of the statutory health insurance, while Janosch Dahmen from the Greens supports the proposal and points out the tense financial situation.
The general contribution rate for statutory health insurance is currently 14.6 percent, with the costs being shared between employees and employers. An average additional contribution rate of 2.5 percent is expected for 2025. The care contribution, which is 3.6 percent, also varies depending on the number of children. Experts expect that further contribution increases of around 0.2 contribution rate points could lead to financial difficulties for tens of thousands of citizens over the next two years.
Calculation sizes and adjustable limits
The Social Security Calculation Size Ordinance 2025, which was published in the Federal Law Gazette on November 27, 2024, will come into force from January 1, 2025. This regulation ensures an adjustment of the important calculation variables in social insurance based on the wage and salary development in 2023. From next year, uniform national values for the contribution assessment limit in pension and unemployment insurance will apply. In addition, the previous separation between West and East Germany will no longer apply.
The new contribution assessment limits for 2025 are as follows:
| Insurance | Yearly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Health and nursing care insurance | 66,150 euros | 5,512.50 euros |
| Unemployment and pension insurance (West and East) | 96,600 euros | 8,050 euros |
The following values are also set for 2025:
- Allgemeine Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze (JAEG): 73.800 Euro
- Besondere JAEG: 66.150 Euro
- Monatliche Bezugsgröße: 3.745 Euro
Minimum wage and additional contributions
Also from January 1, 2025, the minimum wage will rise from 12.41 euros to 12.82 euros per hour. The average statutory additional contribution rate for 2025 remains at 2.5 percent, with the specific TK additional contribution rate set at 2.45 percent. The total contribution rate for health insurance with the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) will therefore be 17.05 percent.
Demographic changes are driving up social security spending. Older people increasingly need more services, which affects the financial burden on statutory health insurance. According to IGES forecasts, the share of income devoted to social security contributions could rise to almost 49 percent in the next ten years - currently it is around 42 percent. This highlights the urgency of thinking about the financing structure of statutory health insurance and introducing necessary reforms.
For further information on the proposed adjustments and current developments in healthcare financing, please visit reports from Focus and Technicians' Health Insurance.