Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) is increasing its additional contribution rate (Zusatzbeitrag) to 2.45 percent next year - more than twice as much as before.
TK members currently pay an additional contribution rate of 1.2 percent - but they will see the hike from January 1st.Â
The TK Board of Directors blamed the increase on the strained financial situation of statutory health insurance organisations.Â
"The sharp increases in expenditure, particularly in the hospital and pharmaceutical sectors, are affecting all health insurance funds," said Dieter F. Märtens, alternating Chairman of the TK Board of Directors and insured persons' representative. "TK cannot escape the current developments either."
With 11.8 million policyholders, TK is Germany's largest statutory health insurance provider. Around 460,000 new policyholders joined in 2024.
The move comes after the Health Ministry set an average additional contribution rate of 2.5 percent - 0.8 percentage points more than in 2024.
This is a suggestion from the government and the health insurance organisations can deviate from this.
The average additional contribution rate from public health insurers for 2024 was 1.7 percent. Techniker Krankenkasse had kept its additional contribution stable at 1.2 percent in 2024.
However, public health providers have been warning for months that they were set to bring in large increases next year.Â
Barmer and DAK plan to announce their decisions soon on possible increase in additional contributions.
How does statutory health insurance work in Germany?
The cost of public health insurance (known as gesetzliche Krankenversicherung or GKV in German) is a fixed percentage of what you earn.Â
People who are publicly insured pay around 14.6 percent of their gross salaries every month to their public provider - for example TK, AoK or Barmer. If the worker is employed by someone else, their employer pays half this cost while they pay the other half.
An additional contribution rate is levied on top of this amount - and half of this is also paid by the employer for those in a fixed job.Â
Self employed people have to pay the full coverage.
The contribution assessment ceiling for statutory health insurance (GKV) - up to which contributions are levied - will be increased to €66,150 for 2025. Income above these limits is exempt from contributions.
READ ALSO: The big healthcare changes in Germany in 2025
According to calculations by experts, a person making €3,000 a month before tax may have to pay around €24 per month extra in public health insurance premiums in 2025 due to the increases.
If that person is employed, their employer will end up paying half of this - so they will end up with a personal increase of €12 a month. As they have to pay both portions, the self-employed are particularly affected by hikes in insurance.Â
READ ALSO: How much more will you pay in German health insurance next year?
How do you change your health insurance provider in Germany?
If your health insurance company raises the additional contribution, those insured have a special right of termination until the end of the month when the increase has taken effect. In this case it's January 31st, 2025.
Insured people can apply to join a new provider up until this date, and they will then become a member of the new health insurer from April 1st after the statutory two month change-over period has expired.
Insured people also have the right to change their statutory health insurance fund every 12 months.
READ ALSO:Â Â How can I change my German health insurance provider?
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