Overview
- The law trims about €1.8 billion from hospital payments and a further €200 million from insurers’ administrative spending and a health research fund to plug the estimated gap.
- An official committee set a 2.9% reference for the average supplemental premium for 2026, but individual funds will set their rates in the coming weeks.
- Major funds and the GKV umbrella group say the package is too small and expect the average supplemental rate to top 3% once reserve refills are included.
- The GKV-Spitzenverband estimates at least 0.1 percentage points of additional financing will be needed to rebuild reserves beyond the new savings.
- DAK’s chief calls for broader financing reforms, backing ideas such as full federal coverage of Bürgergeld recipients’ health costs, a higher federal subsidy and lower VAT on medicines, while employer proposals to end free spousal coverage and reintroduce a practice fee draw political pushback.