DAK boss Storm expects significantly higher contributions for health and nursing care insurance in the 2025 election year. At the same time, he warned of billions in holes.
The CEO of the health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit, Andreas Storm, expects significantly higher contributions for health and nursing care insurance in the election year 2025. “We have to expect a premium increase of 0.5 percentage points for health insurance at the beginning of 2025 and of 0. 2 points,” Storm told the editorial network Germany.
The head of the third largest statutory health insurance company reported that there was a stronger dynamic in spending in both social insurance companies than previously expected. There will be a deficit of up to 2.5 billion euros in health insurance by the end of the year. That is a “very conservative estimate.”
Contrary to what Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) promised, long-term care insurance will also not make ends meet with the premium income, but will end up in the red.
A clear warning
“The health insurance companies are riding on the rim,” is how the DAK boss described the situation. “Actually, governments always try to keep contributions stable in an election year. But this time it results in hefty increases in social security contributions,” said the treasurer. He warned Lauterbach against burdening the health insurance companies with new additional expenses.
Specifically, Storm criticized the minister’s plan to promote the creation of additional medical study places with funds from statutory health insurance amounting to up to 660 million euros per year. It is undisputed that more study places are needed. This is a task for society as a whole that must be paid for with tax revenue, demanded Storm.