Most health insurance companies will become more expensive in 2025. The additional contribution increases. t-online has calculated how much money you can save by switching.
The average additional contribution that statutory health insurance companies (GKV) will charge in the coming year 2025 is 2.5 percent. In 2024, this extra contribution, which is shared by the insured and the employer, was still 1.7 percent. The health insurance companies cite rising expenses and a lack of structural reforms as reasons for the increase.
You can read in this article whether and by how much your health insurance fund will increase the contribution. If this is the case, you don’t just have to accept it, you can switch to a cheaper health insurance provider. You can do this by applying for membership at a new fund by the end of January. This will take care of the cancellation at the old fund and will accept you in April 2025.
But how high is the savings potential when switching from a very expensive health insurance fund to a cheaper one?
For example, from the Knappschaft, which will have the highest additional contribution of 4.4 percent in 2025 (as of December 27, 2024), to a fund that “only” charges an average of 2.5 percent in 2025? Or to the fund with the largest number of members, the technicians, which has set the additional contribution at 2.45 percent? Or to the cheapest fund, the BKK firmus, with an additional contribution of 1.84 percent?
How much you can save depends on your income: the contribution to statutory health insurance is based on a percentage of your salary. You will pay the maximum contribution to the GKV in 2025 if you earn 66,150 euros or more per year. The higher your contribution, the more you can save in absolute amounts.
The table shows you for different incomes how high the GKV contribution will be in 2025 for various statutory health insurance funds and how much you could save per year if you switch from the most expensive health insurance fund to a cheaper one. The savings per year refer to the share that you pay as an employee or pensioner and is rounded to full euro amounts.
| income | Health insurance | Additional contribution | Contribution/year | Savings/year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €66,150 | Knappschaft | 4.40% | €6,284 | |
| TK | 2.45% | €5,639 | 645€ | |
| hkk | 2.19% | €5,553 | 731€ | |
| BKK firmus | 1.84% | €5,438 | €847 | |
| €45,000 | Knappschaft | 4.40% | €4,275 | |
| TK | 2.45% | €3,836 | 439€ | |
| hkk | 2.19% | €3,778 | 497 € | |
| BKK firmus | 1.84% | €3,699 | €576 | |
| €30,000 | Knappschaft | 4.40% | €2,850 | |
| TK | 2.45% | €2,558 | €293 | |
| hkk | 2.19% | €2,519 | 332€ | |
| BKK firmus | 1.84% | €2,466 | €384 |
Earn at the contribution assessment limit of 66,150 euros or moreswitching from the most expensive to the cheapest fund would save you more than 830 euros per year. If you switch to the TK fund with the largest number of members, you will save another 645 euros. Anyone who is insured with TK and is considering switching to the cheapest insurance company, BKK firmus, can save 202 euros per year (847 minus 645 euros).
Who 45,000 euros annual income can save 576 euros per year when switching from the most expensive to the cheapest fund. Anyone who would become a TK member could save 439 euros per year. Switching from TK to the cheapest health fund would save 137 euros per year (576 minus 439 euros).
With an annual income of 30,000 euros The maximum savings per year is 384 euros – if you switch from the most expensive to the cheapest fund. A switch to the TK would save 293 euros, a switch from the TK to the cheapest fund would save 92 euros (384 minus 293 euros).
- Taxes and duties: What is deducted from the pension?
- Ask t-online: Am I automatically covered by health insurance as a pensioner?
If you would like to calculate the possible contribution savings yourself, use the following formula:
Savings per year = gross income per year * (additional contribution from your old fund in percent – additional contribution from the new fund in percent) / 2 / 100.
For example, if you earn 30,000 euros per year and switch from a fund with an additional contribution of 2.45 percent to one with an additional contribution of 1.84 percent, you can €30,000 * (2.45 – 1.84) / 2 / 100 = €91.50 save.
However, consumer advocates advise not to judge health insurance companies based solely on price. 95 percent of the services are identical. But the remaining five percent, the so-called additional benefits, can differ: There are funds that are strong in family benefits, while others are strong in vaccinations, homeopathy or teeth cleaning.
If you are considering changing your health insurance fund, you should therefore check whether the new health insurance fund covers the additional services that are important to you.
