Contributions to statutory health insurance are expected to rise sharply in 2025. Image: imago images / Wolfilser
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Insured people and employers will have to prepare for higher health insurance contributions in the coming year. The additional contribution for statutory health insurance is expected to rise sharply. We are talking about an increase of 0.8 percentage points to an average of 2.5 percent of the income subject to contributions. This is just an estimate, Because each health insurance company decides for itself how much the additional contribution will actually increase in 2025.
It may therefore be worthwhile for insured persons to look for a health insurance company that charges lower additional contributions. This is made possible by a special right of termination.
Insured persons have a special right of termination: what is that?
This means that the insured can get out of their health insurance sooner. You actually have to have been a member of the health insurance company for at least twelve months in order to be able to cancel it. However, this does not apply if a fund charges an additional contribution for the first time or if it is increased.
The special right of termination then applies until the end of the month in which the health insurance company increases the additional contribution. In the specific case that health insurance becomes more expensive from January 1, 2025, this means: Insured persons can make use of their special right of termination until January 31st.
But be careful: The special right of termination does not mean that you no longer have anything to do with the increased additional contributions from the old health insurance company. Here too, the notice period of two months must be observed.
So if you want to cancel by the end of January, you have to pay the increased additional contribution for the old fund up to and including March because of the deadline. You would then be a member of the new health insurance company from April.
How exactly does the change of health insurance company work?
Switching between statutory health insurance companies is relatively easy. To do this, you simply have to choose a new health insurance company that you would prefer to be insured with in the future. After registration, the new insurance company will then take care of terminating the old insurance company and make the change.
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When changing health insurance, don’t just pay attention to the additional contribution
Anyone considering changing health insurance should not only pay attention to the amount of the additional contribution. Although many services are the same between health insurance companies, additional services and services can differ.
Consumer advocates and the Federal Insurance Office warn against hasty action. In addition to the contribution, you should pay attention to other factors. For example, whether there is on-site advice and which additional services the health insurance provider covers, such as travel vaccinations, professional teeth cleaning or osteopathy.
Why the increase in contributions is criticized
The fact that the increase in contributions could be so high next year has caused a lot of criticism. “The financial resilience of insured people and employers” is “increasingly being pushed to its limits,” criticizes Doris Pfeiffer, chairwoman of the umbrella association of statutory health insurance companies (GKV).
It cannot be the case that those with statutory health insurance have to pay and that increases in contributions are used to compensate for deficits, says the CEO of the German Social Association, Michaela Engelmeier. “This practice must end and tasks for society as a whole must be financed from tax revenues.”
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