The Left Party in the state parliament wants to protect people with health insurance from higher copayments. The backdrop to this is the so-called Contribution Rate Stabilization Act, under which copayments for the current 74.5 million people with statutory health insurance are set to rise starting in 2027. The Left Party is calling on the Saxon state government to lobby the federal government to ensure that insured individuals no longer have to pay copayments for necessary and prescribed services. This primarily affects medications, medical devices and aids, dental prosthetics, vision aids, transportation costs, and hospital stays.
The Left: Only those who can afford it should pay more
“Not everyone should pay more—only those who can afford it. Good healthcare is affordable if everyone contributes fairly to the statutory health insurance system—whether they’re employees, self-employed, civil servants, freelancers, or members of parliament,” Schaper reiterated a long-standing demand of her party. Those who live off investment income should also contribute their fair share.
According to the federal government’s plans, the Contribution Rate Stabilization Act is intended to relieve statutory health insurance funds of sharply rising expenses and protect millions of insured people from higher premiums. However, they must also prepare for cuts in benefits and more out-of-pocket payments. For example, the copayments—which have been in effect for 22 years and range from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 10 euros for services such as picking up prescribed medications at a pharmacy—are to be raised to between 7.50 and 15 euros.
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