How to Switch Your Krankenkasse When It Raises the Zusatzbeitrag

Many public health insurers in Germany will set their new prices for 2027 in December. If yours raises its Zusatzbeitrag (additional contribution), you can leave early. The catch: since July 2026, your Krankenkasse (public health insurer) no longer has to send you a letter about it. You have to notice it yourself.

Here is how to check and switch.

What you need to know first

1. This is only for gesetzliche Krankenversicherung (public health insurance). Private insurance has different rules.
2. Normally you must stay with a Krankenkasse for 12 months before you can switch.
3. If your Krankenkasse raises its Zusatzbeitrag, you get a Sonderkündigungsrecht (special right to cancel). The 12 months do not matter then.
4. The deadline is the end of the month in which the higher rate first applies. Most increases start on 1 January, so the deadline is usually 31 January.
5. The average Zusatzbeitrag set for 2027 is 2.9 percent, the same as 2026. This is only a reference number. Each Krankenkasse sets its own rate, and in 2026 the real rates were already between about 2.2 and 4.4 percent.

The steps

1. Find your current rate. Look at your Krankenkasse website, your app or your payslip. The GKV-Spitzenverband (umbrella group of public insurers) also has a list of all insurers and their rates.
2. Watch for the 2027 rate in December. Most insurers decide in their board meetings in December. Check the news section of their website or the app. Note: the GKV-Spitzenverband list shows a new rate only from the day it applies, so in December it may still show the old number.
3. Compare. If your rate goes up, open the GKV-Spitzenverband list in January and look for cheaper insurers that are open in your Bundesland (federal state). Price is not everything. Check English support, the app and extra benefits if they matter to you.
4. Apply at the new Krankenkasse. Most have an online form. Say that you switch because of the increase. Do this before the deadline.
5. Do not cancel the old one yourself. The law says the new Krankenkasse reports the switch to the old one electronically. Their message replaces your Kündigung (cancellation).
6. Tell your HR or payroll team which Krankenkasse you chose, so your salary deductions go to the right place.

When the switch happens

The notice period is two full months after the month you apply. Two examples:

1. You apply in December 2026: your new Krankenkasse covers you from 1 March 2027.
2. You apply in January 2027: your new Krankenkasse covers you from 1 April 2027.

Until then you stay insured with the old one and pay its higher rate. You are never without insurance in between.

Common mistakes

1. Waiting for a letter. It may never come. Put a reminder in your calendar for early January.
2. Missing the deadline. If you apply after the end of that month, the normal 12 months apply again.
3. Having a Wahltarif Krankengeld. This is an optional sick pay plan, mostly for some self-employed people. It binds you for three years, and the special right does not help here.

Many expats pick a Krankenkasse in their first busy weeks and never look at it again. A five minute check once a year is worth it.

Checked in October 2026. Rules change, so please check the official pages before you switch. This is not legal or financial advice.

Sources

1. § 175 SGB V, choosing and leaving a Krankenkasse (German, official)
2. GKV-Spitzenverband: list of all Krankenkassen and their Zusatzbeitrag (German)
3. Verbraucherzentrale: Zusatzbeitrag, Sonderkündigung und Wechsel (German)
4. Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg: Krankenkasse wechseln wegen höherer Beiträge (German)
5. experten.de: insurers no longer have to inform about increases (German)
6. Bürger & Geld: Zusatzbeitrag 2027 stays at 2.9 percent (German)