Overview

• Statutory funds spent 166.1 billion euros in H1 2025, up 7.95% year over year, with hospital outlays rising 9.6% to 54.5 billion euros as the main driver.
• Kassen posted a 2.8 billion euro H1 surplus used to rebuild depleted reserves, which stand at 4.6 billion euros or 0.16 months versus the 0.2‑month legal minimum, keeping contributions under pressure.
• After final budget talks, there is no fresh grant money for 2025; the plan relies on federal loans of 2.3 billion euros in 2025 and 2026 and deferred repayment of a prior 1 billion euro loan, leaving an estimated 4 billion euro gap in GKV and 2 billion in SPV for 2026.
• Health Minister Nina Warken seeks short‑term stabilizers and will convene an experts’ commission this month to deliver structural reform proposals by spring 2026 as the autumn Schätzerkreis readies the 2026 contribution benchmark.
• Insurers urge an immediate spending moratorium to cap price and fee growth, while a labor ministry draft would raise 2026 contribution assessment ceilings for higher earners, drawing criticism as estimates caution the average Zusatzbeitrag could reach around 3% next year.