The health insurance companies continue to struggle with the financial situation. This will also place a burden on contributors in the future. In addition, social security contributions could continue to rise.
Berlin – According to a study, statutory health insurance will still be in the red by 2027: According to a study by the IGES Institute, there is a risk of a financial gap of twelve billion euros. The study also comes to the conclusion that a contribution rate of 50 percent could be reached for all social security contributions by 2035.
Health insurance companies are struggling with financial gaps – what this means for those paying premiums
Statutory health insurance companies have been sounding the alarm about high expenses for months. In view of the financial situation, many heads of statutory health insurance companies warned of increasing contributions. In 2027, the financial gap in the coffers could reach up to 11.8 billion euros. €6.8 billion of this alone is attributed to “continued stronger spending growth”.
According to the analysis, the loss of a loan of 2.3 billion euros and the expiry of a federal government savings package of 1.7 billion euros contribute to the deficit. According to the analysis, the contribution rates for contributors could rise from the current 17.7 percent to 18.3 percent in the coming year, and by 2033 they are expected to reach the 20 percent mark.
Nursing care insurance also faces additional burdens. The IGES Institute expects an additional burden of 5.5 billion euros as expenses grow and federal loans disappear. Contributions could therefore rise from 3.8 percent to 4.1 percent in 2027 and to 5.0 percent by 2033.
According to the treasurer, the Merz government must introduce more measures
The study authors have clear words for the Merz government. The federal government’s measures to provide short-term support for health and nursing care insurance “alone cannot achieve a medium to long-term reduction in premiums,” says study leader Richard Ochmann, summarizing the results. The federal government’s loans could not prevent “the trend of widening the gap between expenditure and income development”.
To ensure short-term stabilization, the federal government has supported health and nursing care insurance with loans worth billions. The GKV will receive 2.3 billion euros in 2025 and 2026, the nursing care insurance will receive 0.5 billion euros in 2025 and 3.2 billion euros in 2026.
In view of the forecasts, DAK CEO Andreas Storm suggests several relief measures to stabilize health insurance contributions. He advocates that until the end of 2029 health insurance expenses should only increase in line with income. The DAK boss is also calling for the VAT rate on medicines and medical aids to be reduced to seven percent in order to relieve the burden on the coffers. However, “comprehensive structural and care reforms” are necessary for long-term statutory health insurance stabilization, emphasizes Storm.
Health insurance companies are struggling with high expenses – these are the reasons
Due to the high expenditure, the health insurance companies have been demanding a moratorium on spending for a long time. For 2025, total expenditure for health insurance companies was forecast to be around 347 billion euros. In 2026, the umbrella association of health insurance companies (GKV) expects an increase to 370 billion euros. A key reason is the ever-increasing healthcare costs.
There are various reasons why expenses are increasing. On the one hand, this is related to social developments. The population is getting older and more in need of treatment. But the rising cost of medicines and rising costs for new treatment methods also play a role. Germany also has an expensive hospital landscape with many hospitals. Unnecessary treatments or “overcare” are also discussed again and again. (Sources: dpa, afp)