How much will private health insurance premiums rise in 2027?
In short
How much private health insurance premiums will rise in 2027 is not known as of 14 October 2026, because each insurer reviews each tariff separately. For comparison, the industry association reported that the average premium rose by about 13 percent in 2026, affecting about 60 percent of policyholders. For an increase from 1 January, your letter must arrive by the end of November.
The 2027 thresholds are a cabinet decision of 7 October 2026 awaiting Bundesrat approval.
The health ministry sets the average additional contribution,
and with it the 2027 employer cap, by 1 November 2026.
Your own increase is only shown in your insurer's letter.
Worked example
Employee, 45, health premium EUR 650 a month
Worked example, not a forecast: assume the tariff becomes EUR 50 more expensive in 2027. This is how the increase is shared between you and your employer.
Premium 2026
EUR 650
Premium 2027 with EUR 50 more
EUR 700
Employer pays half, below the cap
EUR 350
Your share before and after
EUR 325 to EUR 350
You pay EUR 25 more a month. Self employed people without a subsidy carry the full EUR 50.
What is fixed for 2027 and what is not
Only the framework is fixed so far. On 7 October 2026 the federal cabinet adopted the 2027 figures: contribution ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze) EUR 76,500 and compulsory insurance threshold (Versicherungspflichtgrenze) EUR 84,150. The Bundesrat still has to agree.
How much each private health insurance (PKV) tariff will rise in 2027 is decided by each insurer, tariff by tariff. An industry average only appears once the letters have gone out. Percentages circulating before that are not figures from the insurers.
Why there is no average for you
Insurers must check every tariff each year. If claims costs deviate by more than 10 percent from the calculation, they must recalculate; some terms set 5 percent. An independent trustee (Treuhänder) has to approve.
That is why premiums rise in jumps. A tariff that went up sharply in 2026 often stays stable in 2027, while one that was quiet for years can rise a lot. Two people of the same age can receive very different increases.
How to read the 2027 letter
An increase only takes effect at the start of the second month after notice. If it is to apply from 1 January 2027, the letter must reach you by the end of November 2026.
The letter must state the relevant reasons. If they are missing or only general, the increase may be open to challenge. Keep the letters from every year.
What your employer adds in 2027
Employees receive half of their premium from the employer, up to a cap. The cap is half of the general contribution rate plus the average additional contribution, applied to the contribution ceiling. In 2026 that is EUR 508.59 a month.
Under the cabinet decision the 2027 contribution ceiling rises to EUR 6,375 a month. The health ministry announces the 2027 average additional contribution by 1 November 2026 under section 242a SGB V. Only then is the 2027 cap known.
Figure
2026
2027
Health contribution ceiling per month
EUR 5,812.50
EUR 6,375 (cabinet decision)
Compulsory insurance threshold per year
EUR 77,400
EUR 84,150 (cabinet decision)
Average additional contribution
2.9 percent
set by 1 November 2026
Maximum employer subsidy for health per month
EUR 508.59
known after 1 November 2026
What you can do when the letter arrives
Ask your own insurer for tariffs with similar cover. Switching tariffs within the same company keeps all ageing reserves; a new health check only applies to extra benefits.
A higher deductible or dropping some optional benefits also lowers the premium. Cancelling and moving to another insurer rarely pays off after a few years, because much of the ageing reserve is lost.
If you plan to leave Germany
Within the EU and EEA your policy usually continues after a move. Before you reduce cover to save on the 2027 increase, check what you will need abroad, because benefits you give up are hard to get back.
Step by step
From early November, watch for post from your insurer and read the whole letter.
Check whether reasons are given and which tariff rises.
Ask your insurer in writing for tariffs with similar cover.
Weigh deductibles and optional benefits against the saving.
Decide only after comparing, with independent advice if unsure.
Checklist
Letter received by the end of November, otherwise the increase starts later
Reasons for the increase stated
Tariff switch within the company requested
Employer subsidy recalculated
Pre existing conditions considered before giving up cover
Common mistakes
Treating a percentage found online as your own increase
Cancelling in anger and losing the ageing reserve
Choosing the cheapest tariff and missing benefits later
Throwing away old increase letters
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
When will I know how much my premium rises in 2027?
When your insurer's letter arrives.
For an increase from 1 January it must come by the end of November.
Will all private premiums rise in 2027?
No.
Each tariff is checked separately; many stay the same, others rise considerably.
Is there an official figure for 2027 yet?
Not as of 14 October 2026.
For 2026 the association gave its figure in early December 2025.
Does my employer pay part of the increase?
Half of it, as long as you stay below the maximum subsidy,
which rises in 2027 with the contribution ceiling.
Can I refuse the increase?
Not if it is properly justified.
If the reasons are insufficient it may be invalid, and a review can be worth it.
