Overview
- The SPD proposes lifting the income cap that sets what you pay into statutory health and long‑term care insurance, now €69,750 a year in 2026, by about €2,500.
- New calculations by economist Frank Hechtner, prepared for Handelsblatt, indicate some top earners would pay roughly €200 more per month if the cap rose by that amount.
- His examples show a single earning €6,000 a month would owe about €161 more per year, while a family with €8,500 a month in income would pay well over €2,000 more per year.
- A government experts’ commission has outlined 66 steps to steady the system, projecting €42.3 billion in savings by 2027, including higher drug copays and new taxes on sugar, alcohol, and tobacco.
- The CDU warns many workers could face a double hit if the cap rises because health funds may also lift their supplemental premiums.