Overview

• The Bundesrechnungshof urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government to deliver a sustainable financing concept, criticizing current plans as inadequate.
• Average supplementary contributions reached 2.9% at the start of 2025, and the Health Ministry’s medium scenario projects 4.05% by 2029.
• The GKV-Spitzenverband is pressing for an immediate spending moratorium to stop further hikes, arguing new federal loans only postpone the problem.
• Health economist Wolfram Burkhardt points to integrated care and the electronic patient record as ways to cut duplicate treatments and save costs.
• Politicians warn overall contribution rates could rise toward 18.65%, which would mean hundreds of euros more per year for average earners.