The Federal Council initially halted Health Minister Warken’s austerity package. This is not good news for contributors, says TK boss Baas. He spoke of a “fatal signal for millions of contributors.”
After Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) stalled the austerity package in the Federal Council, the chairman of Techniker Krankenkassen (TK), Jens Baas, predicted a wave of premium increases in the coming year. “I expect a lot of increase in contributions in 2026, also because health insurance companies will have to continue to increase reserves,” Baas told the “Rheinische Post”.
“In fact, the average additional contribution will likely exceed the three percent mark in 2026,” said Baas. “If we don’t start reform quickly, in just a few years we will have total contributions of 20 percent or more just for health insurance. This is crazy.”
On Friday, the Federal Council halted the austerity package that had been approved by the Bundestag and sent it to a mediation committee. States want to prevent spending restrictions at clinics. The mandatory health insurance fund is now facing problems in determining its additional contributions.
TK bosses are disappointed with the Federal Council’s decision. “The savings package is already too small to stabilize contributions at the turn of the year. The fact that this minimum savings is now in danger is a fatal signal for millions of contributors and the German economy,” said Baas. Now the pressure on contributions will increase.
Politicians cannot directly determine stable contributions. Health insurance companies themselves decide on additional contributions for 2026 for their insured depending on their financial situation. The current average rate is 2.9 percent. The overall contribution shared by the employee and employer also includes a general rate of 14.6 percent.
TK and Warken bosses refused training fees
However, he does not believe there will be a reintroduction of training fees. “However, previous training costs had no controlling effect. Before we talk about costs, we first need a new system,” continued Baas.
Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) ruled out a new edition of practice fees or even the cost of each visit to the doctor in “WELT AM SONNTAG”. However, at the same time, he considered the costs for patients who went to a specialist without a referral from their family doctor.
“I don’t think it makes sense to apply a flat rate to every doctor’s visit or every quarter for everyone,” the minister said. “The old model did not achieve the desired effect of sustainable control or reduce bureaucracy,” he said, referring to so-called practice fees charged from 2004 to 2012. The BDA employers’ association had demanded such a contact fee for each doctor’s visit.
Correct
