IKK, Barmer and BKK firmus will not become more expensive in 2026

Now the decisions are made

The first health insurance companies are setting additional contributions for 2026

The federal government was confident that the statutory health insurance funds would not have to increase their additional contributions again at the turn of the year. Now there are the first decisions.

Those with statutory health insurance have been asking themselves the same questions for years: How badly will the strained financial situation of health insurance companies affect me? Will my health insurance company’s additional contribution also increase on January 1st? The first insurance companies now have answers ready for 2026 – and relatively positive ones. So far, all health insurance funds have kept their additional contributions stable, including BKK firmus, Barmer and IKK.

We will show you which statutory health insurance companies have already made a decision. This text will be updated regularly until the end of the year (as of December 4, 2025, without guarantee).

Note: “Nationwide” means that the health insurance is open to citizens throughout Germany, “regional” only for citizens with residence or employment in the relevant region, “company-related” if you are employed in the company, “sector-related” if you belong to the industry.

Assume that a health insurance company increases its additional contribution from 2.5 to 2.9 percent. Then, from 2026, you and your employer will each pay a total health insurance contribution of 17.5 percent instead of the previous 17.1 percent. With a gross monthly salary of 3,000 euros, this means 6 euros less net for employees – or 72 euros per year. Employers are also charged additionally with this amount.

The health insurance companies sometimes differ significantly in how high they set the additional contribution. Many were already above 2.9 percent before the guidance value was announced. So a change can be worthwhile. If your insurance company informs you that it will increase the premium, this gives you a special right of termination.

Changing health insurance is now much easier for members of a statutory health insurance company: you no longer have to cancel with your previous insurance company and request a confirmation of cancellation, but can take out a new health insurance policy directly. The new health insurance company will be responsible for transmitting the cancellation.

You don’t have to worry about a gap in your insurance. If consumers were already legally insured, the new health insurance company may not reject their application – even if they are older, have previous illnesses or are already being treated.

But it’s worth not just looking at the costs. Additional services such as certain vaccinations, examinations or preventative care offers can vary depending on the health insurance provider. You should also take this into account when comparing providers.