Germany to introduce new health insurance surcharges for families

Under the new GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz, Germany is introducing changes to statutory health insurance family coverage. While the family insurance model remains in place, a new regulation will require the primary insured member to pay an additional surcharge of 2.5 percentage points for their insured spouse or registered partner.

Although the law entered into force on July 30, 2026, the specific surcharge regulation is set to take effect on January 1, 2028. The primary insured member is responsible for bearing this additional cost alone.

Certain groups are exempt from this surcharge, including individuals who can demonstrate a specific degree of disability (GdB), caregivers, and other designated groups protected by legislative provisions.