The Zusatzbeitrag of the statutory health insurance fund: level, range and effect

The Zusatzbeitrag (i) is charged on top of the general contribution rate of 14.6 percent. Each statutory health insurance fund sets it itself. The average Zusatzbeitrag is set by the Federal Ministry of Health on the recommendation of the Estimation Group. For the current year it is 2.9 percent, after 2.5 percent the year before. The legal basis is § 242 SGB V.

The average set by the ministry serves as a guide. The contribution your fund actually charges can be higher or lower.

There are several percentage points between the cheapest and the most expensive large fund. That sounds small, but it has a clear effect on a high income. A sample calculation at the Beitragsbemessungsgrenze of €5,812.50 per month:

• one percentage point difference: around €58 more per month
• over the year: a difference of around €698

The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds publishes the current additional contributions of the individual funds. A look at this list is worth it before every decision.

The Zusatzbeitrag (i) is charged on income subject to contributions up to the Beitragsbemessungsgrenze (i)BBG · BeitragsbemessungsgrenzeThe contribution ceiling of statutory health and long-term care insurance. Income above this amount is not used to calculate contributions.More about BBG →. Together with the general rate and long-term care insurance, this results in the maximum contribution in statutory health insurance.

For employees, the employer and the insured person each pay half of the additional contribution. Self-employed people with voluntary statutory insurance pay it alone, because there is no employer contribution.

If a fund raises its Zusatzbeitrag (i), you gain a special right of termination. The deadline ends at the end of the month from which the higher Zusatzbeitrag is charged. The move to the new fund happens without a gap, and there is no waiting period.

In practice, the cancellation is a short form. It matters more to notice the letter about the increase at all, because otherwise it gets lost and the deadline passes.

From more than 5,000 applications with health questions, we often hear the question whether a high Zusatzbeitrag (i) makes a switch to private health insurance worthwhile. The additional contribution alone does not decide this. What counts is the premium burden over your whole lifetime.

Before a switch to private health insurance, we recommend that you first look for the cheapest fund within statutory health insurance. Changing your fund is a decision for one year. Switching to private health insurance is a decision for a long time.

No. The Zusatzbeitrag (i) is a mechanism of statutory health insurance. The statutory surcharge, by contrast, is a loading of 10 percent in private health insurance that strengthens the ageing reserves.