Everything gets more expensive. Often also the statutory health insurance. The average additional contribution increases in the new year from 1.3 to 1.6 percent. As a result, 54 funds are increasing their contributions for the new year. However, members are no longer informed promptly. The overview.
The average additional contribution to statutory health insurance increases in the new year from 1.3 to 1.6 percent. With the additional contribution, the funds can also be higher or lower, because each decides individually on the amount of the contribution. This offers potential savings for insured persons when changing health insurance. Depending on your income, you can often save 100 to 200 euros per year in this way.
54 statutory health insurance companies increase their contributions at the turn of the year. This is the result of an evaluation by Stiftung Warentest, which compares the contributions and benefits of statutory health insurance companies in an online database. The increases are between 0.06 and 0.70 percentage points. Two health insurance companies lower their contributions at the turn of the year, by 0.14 and 0.31 percentage points. 15 of the 71 health insurance companies open to all are keeping their contributions stable. According to the Central Association of Health Insurance Funds, there are a total of 96 statutory health insurance funds in Germany, but not all of them are open to everyone, such as certain company health insurance funds.
In principle, the health insurance contribution consists of the general contribution rate of currently 14.6 percent, which is the same for all health insurance funds, and the additional contribution that is determined individually. Both the general contribution rate and the additional contribution are borne equally by employees and employers or by pensioners and the pension insurance.
These health insurance companies are below 1.6 percent additional contribution
The currently cheapest nationwide open health insurance companies are the BKK Firmus and the BKK Gildemeister Seidensticker with a total contribution of 15.50 percent (additional contribution 0.9).
These health insurance companies are at or above 1.6 percent additional contribution
Unlike before, members will no longer be informed of the higher fee by letter – at least until the end of June 2023 – for reasons of savings. This is what the new financial stabilization law that was introduced by the Ministry of Health provides for. How things will continue from July 2023 is open. However, the health insurance companies are not allowed to increase their contribution rate completely unnoticed. You still have to announce this four weeks before the contribution rate is adjusted – just in other ways. Consumers should therefore look on the website of their health insurance company or in the members’ magazine.
Basically, all cash registers are freely selectable. Even if the insured person is older or is currently being treated. Provided that the fund is also available in the state of the insured person. At the same time, switching health insurance companies has been made significantly easier from 2021: In theory, policyholders have been able to switch to a cheaper health insurance company every year since then, similar to car insurance. For example, if you resign at the end of January, you will be in a new register on April 1st.
If the insurer increases the additional contribution, there is still a special right of termination at the end of the month in which the higher contribution is requested for the first time. If the contract is terminated regularly, it will take effect at the end of the month after next. Since January 2021, in all other cases, you are no longer tied to your insurance for 18 months as before, but only for 12 months, so you can theoretically change every year. In addition, switching has become much easier: You simply register online with the new health insurance company and let the new employer know that you want to change health insurance companies.
In principle, you do not have to cancel the contract with the old health insurance company: the new health insurance company takes care of this electronically. An insurance gap is excluded when changing. If you switch to a cheap health insurance company, it should be noted that a little more income will then have to be taxed. Part of the savings then falls victim to taxes. In addition, those who want to change should check whether the new, cheaper health insurance company also offers all the desired extra services such as tooth cleaning, osteopathy or homeopathy.
(This article was first published on Monday, January 02, 2023.)