(de-news.net) – At the outset of 2026, a significant proportion of privately insured individuals will be compelled to prepare for marked increases in their health insurance contributions. The Association of Private Health Insurance reported that a comprehensive tariff review had been undertaken. Approximately 60 percent of policyholders would face adjustments, with an average increase estimated at around 13 percent. The principal justification provided was a sustained and substantial escalation in medical expenditure. The latter had profoundly influenced insurers’ financial calculations and necessitated upward revisions of premiums.
Several major providers had already communicated specific figures regarding these adjustments. Allianz Private Health Insurance was expected to raise its premiums by an average of approximately eleven percent. Barmenia Health Insurance AG anticipated an increase of 11.6 percent, while Gothaer Health Insurance AG had indicated a rise of about 12.7 percent. Hanse-Merkur announced that its tariffs would increase by 13 percent, underscoring the breadth of the financial impact across the sector.
Simultaneously, mounting pressures were also projected within the statutory health insurance system. The Federal Government had initially attempted to stabilize costs through a savings package, yet the Bundesrat has temporarily blocked the relevant legislation. Consequently, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds cautioned that this interruption could have serious consequences for the nearly 75 million individuals insured under the statutory system. The Association warned of potential contribution increases at the turn of the year, noting that the financial situation of the funds remained strained in the absence of the intended corrective measures.
In parallel, statutory health insurers initiated legal proceedings against the Federal Government, asserting that the financing of healthcare for recipients of citizens’ benefit imposed a disproportionate burden upon them. According to the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds, initial lawsuits had already been filed with the North Rhine-Westphalia Regional Social Court, with additional actions expected to follow. The underlying issue was that the state had delegated responsibility for healthcare provision to the insurers while covering only a fraction of the associated costs. As a result, approximately ten billion euros annually remained unfunded, creating a structural imbalance.
Thus, the Administrative Board of the Association resolved to challenge the notices issued by the Federal Office for Social Security, which had been determining allocations for 2026 since November. The objective was to secure a referral to the Federal Constitutional Court in order to obtain a fundamental ruling on the matter. Representatives of the insurers emphasized that they did not receive state subsidies; rather, the state alleviated its own financial obligations by providing insufficient contributions. This arrangement, they argued, placed a considerable strain on policyholders and employers alike and was characterized as economically detrimental.
