Health Savings Law Now Enforced; Major Changes Come January 2027
The GKV-Stabilization Act took effect in early August, ending extra-budgetary doctor payments and raising patient co-payments. Most provisions activate on January 1, 2027.
The GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz (GKV-Stabilization Act), Germany's largest health insurance reform in over a decade, entered into force in early August 2026. While most of its provisions remain dormant until January 1, 2027, the law is now the binding framework for the statutory system.
Key changes arriving in 2027 include the removal of extra-budgetary (extrabudgetäre) reimbursement for certain doctor services such as ambulatory surgery, early-detection screening, and psychotherapy. The Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV) estimates that practices will lose an average of €3,629 per physician annually. Patient co-payments for hospital stays will rise from €10 to €15 per day, and dental prosthesis subsidies will fall from 60% to 50% of standard-care costs. Prescription charges (Zuzahlung) will also increase.
What This Means for Your Coverage
If you hold statutory insurance (GKV), your out-of-pocket costs are about to climb noticeably in the new year. Dental work, hospital stays, and some prescription medications will become pricier unless you supplement with private policies. High-earning expats considering a switch to private insurance (PKV) should act before 2027, as the compulsory threshold (JAEG) is rising sharply. For families, the loss of free spouse co-insurance for those with older children is also imminent.
Sources
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