Germany raises health insurance co-pays by 50% for prescriptions and stays

Headline: Germany raises statutory health insurance co-pays by 50%

Germany’s statutory health insurance members now pay up to €15 per prescription pack, 50% more than the previous maximum.

Prescription charges rise to €7.50-€15

The GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz keeps prescription co-payments at 10% of the medication price but raises the minimum from €5 to €7.50 and the maximum from €10 to €15 per pack.

Co-payments for hospital stays, rehabilitation, physiotherapy and other covered services have risen by about 50%. The statutory subsidy for dental prostheses has dropped from 60% to 50%, while homeopathic treatments no longer qualify for standard reimbursement.

For a nomad filling one covered prescription pack each month, annual co-payments now run from €90 to €180, compared with €60 to €120 under the previous limits. That adds €30 to €60 a year, depending on the medication price.

Annual hardship limits remain unchanged

Total co-payments remain capped at 2% of household gross income or 1% for chronically ill members. Once a household reaches its calendar-year limit, further eligible co-payments can be waived or reimbursed.

The higher charges apply to foreign workers, international students, freelancers and other residents enrolled in statutory insurance. Germany’s broader coverage and residency setup is outlined in the guide to settling in Germany.

Tourists depend on their coverage

EU and European Economic Area visitors receiving treatment through a European Health Insurance Card may face the higher German co-payments. Travelers using private travel insurance remain subject to their policy’s deductibles and reimbursement limits, while privately insured German residents aren’t directly covered by the statutory changes.

The law doesn’t create a separate patient reimbursement cap for emergency services. Germany is handling emergency-care organization and funding through different legislation.