The top association of statutory health insurance (GKV) expects a significantly higher deficit for the statutory funds in 2024.
“We’re looking at the financial situation of the statutory health insurance with great concern. Despite the already increased contribution rates at the beginning of 2024 and throughout the year, we expect a deficit of around €5.5 billion for this year” said the chairwoman of the GKV top association, Doris Pfeiffer, to the “Rheinische Post” (Monday edition).
“Since about ten years, we’ve had health ministers who are good at increasing expenses through new laws, but they forget to consider the stability of contribution rates.” The previously expected deficit was between €4 and €4.5 billion.
The actual average additional contribution rate for 2025 will “rise by at least 1.0 percentage points.” Meanwhile, the contribution rate for long-term care insurance will increase by 0.2 percentage points, just before Christmas. “In other words, from the new year, there will be over one percent less net from gross, and the politics just ignores it, instead of taking decisive action.”
It is already clear that “there will be further increases in 2026” said Pfeiffer. “Take the hospital transformation fund for financing hospital structures: Although the restructuring of hospital structures is a state task, the statutory health insurance funds will have to pay €2.5 billion per year from 2026 onwards. This alone will require new contribution rate increases. We hold this regulation as a whole to be unconstitutional and are currently exploring the possibility of a constitutional lawsuit against it.”
Pfeiffer sharply criticized the health policy: “More than half of the health insurance funds have reserves below the statutory minimum. As a result, the health insurance funds whose reserves have fallen below the statutory minimum due to the very difficult financial situation will have to replenish them next year, which will require an additional increase in their additional contribution rate.” The expenses for hospitals and medicines are growing almost unchecked, but the care of people is not getting better.