Germany to reduce dental subsidies under new health insurance law

The German Bundestag has passed the GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz, which will lead to a reduction in dental subsidies for statutory health insurance members starting January 1, 2027. The fixed subsidy for standard dental care will drop from 60 percent to 50 percent, increasing out-of-pocket costs for crowns, bridges, and prostheses. Additionally, the bonus system for members with documented preventive care will decrease by ten percentage points.

Dr. Romy Ermler, President of the German Dental Association, emphasized that regular prevention is essential to mitigate rising costs. Experts recommend that individuals requiring dental work complete treatments by December 31, 2026, to benefit from current higher subsidy rates.

AOK PLUS, a health insurance provider serving approximately 3.5 million people in Saxony and Thuringia, described the law as a necessary but insufficient step. While the legislation acts as an expenditure anchor, the insurer argues that further structural reforms are required to align statutory health insurance spending with revenue. AOK PLUS called for a binding roadmap to ensure long-term affordability and suggested that certain societal health costs, such as those for basic security recipients, should be funded through tax revenue rather than insurance contributions.