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2w ago

German Health Insurers Warn of Looming Contribution Surge as Coalition Delays Reforms

Key stakeholders criticize the coalition agreement for removing immediate stabilization measures, predicting steep increases in health and care insurance premiums by year's end.

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Der frühere CDU-Bundestagsabgeordnete Andreas Storm ist seit Januar 2017 Vorstandsvorsitzender der DAK-Gesundheit
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Overview

  • The final coalition agreement eliminated short-term measures to stabilize social insurance contributions, deferring reforms to a commission set to report in 2027.
  • DAK CEO Andreas Storm warns of a 'contribution tsunami,' with statutory health insurance premiums expected to rise by at least 0.5 percentage points by the end of 2025.
  • Without intervention, total social insurance contributions could approach 43%, significantly burdening workers, retirees, and employers while threatening economic recovery.
  • Critics argue the coalition's decision shifts the cost of non-insurance services, such as Bürgergeld recipients, onto policyholders instead of using federal funds.
  • Doris Pfeiffer of the Kassen-Spitzenverband calls for emergency measures, including an interim law and expenditure moratorium, to address the system's immediate financial crisis.