More than half of the 68 health insurers in our database increased their contribution rate at the beginning of 2024, and in July another seven health insurers followed suit, with increases of between 0.4 and 0.89 percentage points. With a monthly salary of 3,000 euros, it is between 6 euros and 13.35 euros that insured people will pay more per month. Five of the funds that increased in July operate across the country.
With the KKH Kaufmännische Krankenkasse, another national health insurer has now announced a premium increase from August. The contribution increases from 16.58 percent to a total of 17.88 percent. This puts the fund at the top when it comes to contribution levels.
Depending on their income, policyholders can save several hundred euros per year by switching to a cheaper health insurance fund (see below).
The average additional contribution rate for those with statutory health insurance for 2024 was increased by the Ministry of Health from 1.6 to 1.7 percentage points at the end of October 2023. This is not binding for health insurance companies. The amount of the additional contribution from a health insurance company depends on its financial situation.
Additional contributions 2024
In our Health Insurance Comparison 68 health insurers are included in their contribution rates and additional services. Overall, more than 97 percent of people with statutory health insurance are members or co-insured with these funds.
- More expensive: 43 health insurers have already increased their contribution rates this year or, like KKH, have announced an increase.
- Cheaper: 3 health insurers have reduced their contribution rates in 2024.
- No change: So far, 24 health insurers have kept their contribution rates unchanged compared to 2023.
Saving by exchanging
Switching to a cheap health insurance company can save you a lot of money. Depending on your income, the savings vary. If someone earns around 3,000 euros per month, the savings amount to around 230 euros per year if the insured person switches from an expensive fund with an additional contribution of 2.20 percent to a cheap fund with 0.90 percent. High-income earners with a salary of at least 5,175 euros (contribution assessment limit 2024, income above the limit is exempt from contributions) save more than 400 euros per year. Important: For the self-employed, the savings double because they pay their contributions entirely on their own. Otherwise, the employee and the employer share half of the contributions.
Tip: You can find the contribution rates in our Health Insurance Comparison. This is continually updated. Important: Only switch when you know exactly how much you will pay in contributions to the new health insurance company and if you are satisfied with the additional services offered there.
General contribution and additional contribution
All health insurance companies charge the general contribution rate of 14.6 percent. There is also an additional contribution that each health insurer sets – depending on its financial situation. If a health insurance company is in a good position, it will tend to keep its additional contributions low. If a health insurer’s expenses exceed its financial needs, the individual additional contribution will tend to increase. This will then be more expensive for policyholders.
Special right of withdrawal in case of changes
If a health insurance company increases its additional contribution, policyholders have a special right of withdrawal. You can always switch to a cheaper fund.
Example: If a health insurer requires a higher contribution from August 2024, members can cancel until the end of the month in which the new additional contribution is first due – in this example, until the end of August. The deadline is two months until the end of the month. If policyholders cancel by the end of August, they will be members of a new health insurer from November. Until then, they will have to pay the higher additional contribution from their previous fund.
Regular cash register change
The special right of withdrawal applies to all those who have not yet been a member of their fund for 12 months. Because a change is usually only possible after this period. However, if you have been a member of your health insurance company for a year or more, you can change insurance companies at any time. The same applies here: the deadline is two months until the end of the month.
Tip: You can find out everything you need to know about changing your health insurance in the special Legal health insurance.
You can find information about the extra services offered by individual health insurance companies here Health Insurance Comparison. More than 200 criteria are assessed. Depending on your individual needs, they can also represent a significant monetary advantage and make it advisable to switch to another health insurance fund.
Average additional contribution
The additional contribution has been increased from 1.6% to 1.7% in 2024. The amount is reset to zero every year. To this end, a committee of experts always estimates the amount of the health insurers’ expected expenditure and the health fund’s revenue for the following calendar year by October 15 of each year. On this basis, the Federal Ministry of Health determines the average rate of the additional contribution. It will be announced by November 1 and is valid for the entire following calendar year. It is only relevant as an additional contribution for certain groups of people – such as insured beneficiaries. Citizen’s money and interns who do not earn more than 325 euros per month.
A warning: Health insurers are not required to adjust your individual additional contribution if the average additional contribution rate increases. They will only have to do so if something changes in your financial situation.
Financial position of cash registers
The deficit of statutory health insurance companies was over 600 million euros in the first half of 2023. This was partly due to the fact that health insurance companies were obliged to transfer part of their reserves to the health fund. From this, health insurers receive financial resources to finance services for their policyholders. Health insurance companies see spending risks for the coming year due to the global economy and political developments, but also due to the upcoming hospital reform. The group of estimators expects a deficit of around 3.2 billion euros. In addition: unlike in 2023, there will be no special payment for health insurers by the federal government this year. And the budget of the Federal Ministry of Health will also be significantly lower in 2024.