10/07/2026 - "The fact that the GKV Contribution Rate Stabilisation Act has passed the Bundestag and Bundesrat today is a positive signal. The contributions will be stabilised, and the increase curbed for now. Now the reform process must be consistently continued and costs reduced. The Act can only be a first step. Although some critical points advocated by the DIHK were improved during the parliamentary process, such as interventions in the healthcare economy, the additional burden on companies and service providers remains substantial overall, and the financing of non-insurance-related benefits by the federal government remains insufficient. The significant increase in the contribution and insurance obligation thresholds alone acts as a de facto contribution increase on qualified employment and burdens companies with an additional 2.5 billion euros per year, on top of the regular annual increase. This sends the wrong signal in an economically strained situation. The coalition must now swiftly follow-up with a genuine structural reform that limits additional wage costs, raises efficiency potentials, and strengthens the competitiveness of Germany as a location. For this, the announced structural reforms in the healthcare sector must be initiated this year.”