Contribution check from Finanztest: These health insurance companies are the cheapest in 2023

In the new year, the average additional contribution is 1.

Contribution check from Finanztest: These health insurance companies are the cheapest in 2023

In the new year, the average additional contribution is 1.6 percent. But the health insurance companies can also be above or below this value. If your cash register is too expensive, you can switch to a cheaper one. And that's a lot easier since the year before last.

The average additional contribution will remain unchanged at 1.6 percent in 2023. But if you switch cash registers wisely, you can save several hundred euros per year. In addition to the contribution rate, the savings also depend on the income of the insured.

Finanztest regularly asks the health insurance companies approved for those with statutory health insurance the contribution rate for the coming year in December. So now again. Of the 73 inquired funds, which are open to all those with statutory health insurance, many have not yet been able to provide any specific information. Background: Your board of directors are only discussing these days. Only then will increases or amendments to the Articles of Association become legally binding.

So far, the testers have been the only insurance company to tell the testers that they want to reduce their additional contribution in 2023 - from 1.29 to 1.15 percent. It then requires a total of 15.75 percent. Six health insurers do not want to change their contribution: the IKK Gesund Plus remains at 15.70, the TK at 15.80 and the KKH at 16.10 percent. Knappschaft, Viactiv Krankenkasse and WMF BKK leave the contribution at 16.20 percent.

Unlike before, members will no longer be informed of the higher fee by letter - at least until the end of June 2023. For reasons of economy. This is what the new financial stabilization law that was introduced by the Ministry of Health provides for. How things will continue from July 2023 is open. However, the health insurance companies are not allowed to increase their contribution rate completely unnoticed. You still have to announce this four weeks before the contribution rate is adjusted - just in other ways. Consumers should therefore look on the website of their health insurance company or in the members' magazine.

Basically, the health insurance contribution is made up of the same general contribution rate of currently 14.6 percent for all health insurance companies and the additional contribution that is determined individually. Both the general contribution rate and the additional contribution are borne equally by employees and employers or by pensioners and the pension insurance.

The average additional contribution is currently 1.6 percent. But with the additional contribution, the funds can also be higher or lower, because each decides individually on the amount of the contribution. This offers potential savings for insured persons when changing health insurance. Depending on your income, you can often save 100 to 200 euros per year in this way.

It's also good that all cash registers are freely selectable. Even if the insured person is older or is currently being treated. Provided that the fund is also available in the state of the insured person. At the same time, changing health insurance companies has been made significantly easier from 2021: In theory, policyholders have been able to switch to a cheaper health insurance company every year since then, similar to car insurance. For example, if you quit at the end of January, you will be in a new register on April 1st.

If the insurer increases the additional contribution, there is still a special right of termination at the end of the month in which the higher contribution is requested for the first time. If the contract is terminated regularly, it will take effect at the end of the month after next. Since January 2021, in all other cases, you are no longer tied to your insurance for 18 months as before, but only for 12 months, so you can theoretically change every year. In addition, switching has become much easier: You simply register online with the new health insurance company and let the new employer know that you want to change health insurance companies.

In principle, you do not have to cancel the contract with the old health insurance company: the new health insurance company takes care of this electronically. An insurance gap is excluded when changing.

The currently cheapest health insurance company open nationwide is probably the HKK with a total contribution of 15.29 percent.

If you switch to a cheap health insurance company, it should be noted that a little more income will then have to be taxed. Part of the savings then falls victim to taxes. In addition, those who want to change should check whether the new, cheaper health insurance company also offers all the desired extra services such as tooth cleaning, osteopathy or homeopathy.