The head of Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), Jens Baas, has warned that contributions for statutory health insurance in Germany are likely to rise for many policyholders next year. "Realistically, we must unfortunately expect a contribution rate increase on average next year," Baas said on Sunday evening during the ARD program Bericht aus Berlin. He added that the situation could worsen in the following year, noting that health funds will already face a shortfall of around ten billion euros in the coming year.
Baas criticized plans by Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) to keep contributions stable next year, describing them as unrealistic. "What Ms. Warken very optimistically said will unfortunately not happen," he said. He pointed out that Warken’s proposed savings package to prevent a rise in contribution rates was initially stopped in the Bundesrat and sent to the mediation committee.
Despite this, Baas emphasized that health funds must now prepare their budgets. He noted that even if the savings package is approved by the Bundesrat by the end of December, it would "actually be too late for us."
Currently, the general contribution rate for statutory health insurance, shared between employees and employers, stands at 14.6%. An additional contribution is set individually by each health insurance provider. Warken’s savings package aimed to limit this extra charge to an average of 2.9% next year through a two-billion-euro measure.
Baas, however, predicted that the rate would already be "slightly above 3%" at the beginning of the year, and he expected that some health insurance funds would need to raise it further during the year. Explaining the reasons for rising costs, the TK chief pointed to inefficiencies in the healthcare system. He advocated for reforms across all areas, stating, "From the health insurance companies to outpatient doctors to hospitals, we need to make a fundamental system change."
Baas warned that if the federal government does not strongly intervene in cost developments, health insurance contributions could exceed 20% by the end of the legislative period in 2029. He added that, together with long-term care insurance, total contributions could surpass 25%.
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