German health insurers post first-half surplus, but ministry warns there is no all-clear

Germany’s statutory health insurers ended the first half of the year with a €2.6 billion surplus, but the government cautioned that the figures do not signal lasting relief.

The Federal Health Ministry said the surplus mainly resulted from contribution increases at the start of the year and was being used primarily to rebuild reserves. Those reserves reached €7.5 billion, bringing the average across insurers back to the legally required minimum of 0.2 months of expenditure.

Health Minister Carsten Linnemann said the underlying pressure remained. “The dynamics of spending continue to exceed the growth in revenue by a wide margin,” he said. “This development must be stopped to break the contribution-rate spiral.”

The 93 statutory insurers reported €188.9 billion in revenue and €186.3 billion in spending between January and June. Expenditure on medical services increased 7.4%, slightly below the 7.7% rise recorded in the same period a year earlier, but still well above the long-term average.

The governing coalition has already passed a savings law. Spending limits for doctors’ practices, hospitals, pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies are due to begin in early 2027. Patients are also expected to face higher co-payments for medicines.

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The dynamics of spending continue to exceed the growth in revenue by a wide margin. This development must be stopped to break the contribution-rate spiral.