Statutory health insurance contributions for high earners: Union and SPD argue over contribution assessment ceiling
Should high earners pay more into statutory health insurance? / © AdobeStock/Stockfotos-MG
Christos Pantazis, health policy spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary group, had proposed that high earners pay more into statutory health insurance due to the strained financial situation of the health insurance funds. Specifically, he advocated raising the contribution assessment ceiling by around €2,500 to the level of the pension insurance assessment ceiling. "For a sustainable stabilization of statutory health insurance finances, we must not impose any restrictions on our thinking," Pantazis told the "Bild" newspaper.
The Union parliamentary group countered: "This will make work and services unnecessarily more expensive and will harm Germany as a business location," said Albert Stegemann (CDU), deputy leader of the Union parliamentary group responsible for health policy.
In the coalition agreement, it was agreed to avoid burdens on contributors. "Therefore, we will work together with the SPD to fundamentally address financing. In particular, we must make the system more efficient and thereby reduce costs."
The contribution assessment ceiling is the maximum gross salary up to which social security contributions are deducted. Income above this limit is exempt from contributions. Currently, it is €5,512.50 per month for health insurance. According to the Federal Statistical Office, almost 30 percent of full-time employees have an annual gross income equal to or above the contribution assessment ceiling and would therefore be affected by an increase.
"Bild" reported, citing calculations by the Taxpayers' Association, that, for example, a single person earning €6,000 a month gross would have to pay €406 more per year to the health insurance fund, while a single person earning €7,000 a month gross would have to pay €1,170 more per year.
A family of four with a gross income of 6,500 euros per month would have 865 euros less net per year, while with a gross income of 7,500 euros it would be almost 1,700 euros less.
pharmazeutische-zeitung
