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German Health Insurers Face Financial Crisis as Mid-Year Rate Hikes Escalate

BKK Firmus leads new wave of supplementary contribution increases, prompting criticism, consumer action, and urgent calls for legislative reform.

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Overview

  • BKK Firmus will raise its supplementary contribution rate from 1.84% to 2.18% starting May 1, 2025, following similar increases by other insurers earlier in April.
  • The GKV-Spitzenverband warns of critical reserve levels, with only 7% of a month's expenses remaining, and demands immediate financial stabilization measures and new legislation.
  • Critics, including AOK Bremen/Bremerhaven's Olaf Woggan, accuse insurers like BKK Firmus of misleading consumers by initially setting low rates and raising them mid-year.
  • Health Minister Karl Lauterbach attributes the financial strain to inflation, rising healthcare costs, and years of neglected system modernization, despite record revenues.
  • Policyholders are advised to compare insurers and switch if necessary, as many supplementary contribution rates have more than doubled since 2024.