Millions of people living in Germany could soon be paying significantly more for health insurance. Under the reported plans, spouses who are currently insured for free would instead have to pay a minimum monthly contribution of around €225 – roughly €200 for statutory health insurance and €25 for long‑term care insurance. Under the current rules in Germany, spouses and children can be insured free of charge under a working family member’s statutory health insurance policy (GKV), provided certain conditions are met. For example, the GKV‑Spitzenverband – the umbrella organisation representing statutory health insurers – argues that the change would undermine the principle of solidarity which underpins Germany’s statutory health insurance. Its task is to analyse where costs in the statutory health system are rising fastest and to propose measures designed to stabilise contribution rates.

Source: The Local March 24, 2026 12:40 UTC