Additional contribution Health insurance change is worthwhile

Save money in 2015: Health insurance can be worthwhile

22/12/2014

As of January 1, 2015, the statutory health insurance contribution in Germany will fall from the current level of 15.5 percent to 14.6 percent. However, the funds then have the option of making an additional contribution. For some insurers this is higher than for others and so can change a cash register for many people financially worthwhile.

Health insurance contribution is reduced
As of 1 January 2015, the statutory health insurance contribution in Germany will be reduced from the current level of 15.5% to 14.6%. For insured persons, however, this does not automatically mean that they will have to pay less from next year. The statutory health insurance funds have the option of making an additional contribution in order to cover their financial needs due to the GKV financial reform. Due to such premium adjustments, some insured persons have the chance to save a lot of money by changing their cash register.

Many funds have announced their additional contributions
Meanwhile, the majority of the statutory health insurance companies have announced their additional contributions for 2015. Only two of the funds have so far announced that they will not make an additional contribution: for the two regional funds BKK Euregio and Metzinger BKK, members will pay only 14.6 percent from next year. According to the Federal Insurance Office, the additional contribution should be around 0.9 percent, which would be the same as the old one. Some of the larger statutory health insurances are slightly lower. For example, the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) has reported an additional contribution of 0.8 percent.

Some insureds pay more in the coming year
However, there are also health insurance companies, which will require an additional contribution above 0.9 percent. For example, the BKK Family, BKK Pfalz and IKK Südwest have announced that they will have to make an additional contribution of 1.2 percent and the Brandenburg BKK will require an additional 1.3 percent. For many insured a change of health insurance can be financially worthwhile. In particular, workers with a high gross income can sometimes save several hundred euros a year. However, the Federal Insurance Office points out that the health insurance should not be rushed to pay attention not only to the amount of the additional contribution, but also to factors such as advice, service, special services or the presence of a local office.

Cancel in time
As a rule, insured persons are allowed to change their health insurance as soon as they raise or raise additional contributions. Experts point out, however, that the letter must be received by the end of the month for which the fund raises or raises the premium for the first time. Then the termination becomes effective at the end of the calendar month after the next. This means that if a provider levies an additional contribution, for example, from 1 January 2015, the insured persons may be in another fund as of 1 April 2015. The health insurances can not refuse the insured person.

Increase in contributions expected
The funds must inform their members on each increase on the special right of termination. Loud „test.de“ The new contributions for pensioners will only apply from March 2015. Until then, they continue to pay 15.5 percent everywhere. Of these, the pension insurance contributes 7.3 percent. Even though contributions to statutory health insurance (SHI) will remain broadly stable in the coming year, experts expect contributions to increase in subsequent years. (Ad)