German health insurance: average add-on contribution set to stay at 2.9% in 2027

Millions of Germans with statutory health insurance are unlikely to see average contributions rise in 2027. The estimating panel, made up of experts from the Health Ministry, the Federal Office for Social Security and the umbrella group of statutory insurers, met Oct. 13-14. The federal office said its estimates produce a calculated average add-on contribution rate for 2027 that is "unchanged at 2.9%," Handelsblatt reported, citing Reuters. Each insurer sets its own rate, however, so actual contributions may differ.

Health Minister Carsten Linnemann of the Christian Democrats said insurers' spending would rise considerably less in 2027 than in 2026. He credited mainly a contribution-stabilization law that is expected to relieve insurers of up to 15 billion euros in spending. The financial situation remains strained, he said, and the structural problems of statutory health insurance must be solved. According to news site ms-aktuell.de, insurers actually charged an average of 3.13% at the end of June, and their reserves of about 7.5 billion euros were close to the legal minimum.

The Health Ministry must formally set the average add-on rate by Nov. 1. Individual insurers' rates for January 2027 may rise, stay the same or fall. Members of a fund that raises its rate have a special right to switch insurers. Employees generally pay half of the add-on contribution on top of the general rate of 14.6%. Insurers reacted cautiously: AOK federal association chief Carola Reimann doubts the planned changes will stabilize financing in the long term, ms-aktuell.de reported.