Rising social security contributions: DAK warns of increased burdens by 2035

Rising social security contributions: DAK warns of increased burdens by 2035

DAK boss calls for comprehensive “stability pact” for health care

The current forecasts for the development of social security contributions in Germany have prompted the CEO of DAK-Gesundheit, Rüdiger Scharf, to call for a two-stage “stability pact” for statutory health insurance (GKV). According to Scharf, the situation is critical and he calls for urgent measures to avoid placing undue burden on insured persons and employers.

The increase in health insurance contributions to an expected 16.9 percent in 2025 and the forecast development to 18.1 percent by 2030 are alarming figures. Scharf warns of a historically high increase in contribution rates in the statutory health insurance, which could place a heavy burden on citizens and companies.

In order to counteract the financing problem, Scharf proposes a fundamental restructuring of the healthcare system. A central component of his stability pact is the demand for adequate financing of statutory health insurance by the federal government. This includes, among other things, the reimbursement of expenses for the insurance of citizens' benefit recipients amounting to 9.2 billion euros annually.

Scharf also advocates for a structural limitation of the dynamic spending of statutory health insurance companies in order to prevent a long-term increase in contribution rates. He rejects the introduction of confidential reimbursement prices for medicines and financial participation in transformation funds, as this could endanger the financial stability of the GKV.

Scharf also sees a need for action in the area of ​​nursing care insurance. He criticizes the fact that the federal government has not yet fulfilled its obligations and presents reform proposals to reduce the burden on contributors. A fundamental reform of nursing care insurance would be possible if the financial obligations were reorganized.

For Scharf, the projections from the IGES study serve as an important basis for preparing the necessary social reforms after the next federal election. It calls on the federal government to submit an annual social security report that contains a projection of the expected development of contributions for a period of ten years in order to ensure transparency and planning security.

Contact for further information:

Rüdiger Scharf
Chief Press Officer & Head of Corporate Communications
Email: ruediger.scharf@dak-gesundheit.de