Health insurance companies in Germany plan to eliminate benefits for certain families following the financial crisis.

Health insurers in Germany are facing a financial crisis and are proposing to reduce benefits for families, including the elimination of free family insurance for spouses without children. A government commission has published 66 recommendations, highlighting the need to adapt the co-insurance system to the new socio-economic conditions.

The Minister of Health, Nina Warken, confirmed that the co-insurance scheme will be modified, but not abolished, ensuring that certain categories, such as parents of young children or people with disabilities, will remain covered for free. Critics, including the German Association for Social Assistance SoVD, warn that the elimination of free family insurance could disproportionately affect low-income households, increasing costs for families and exacerbating social difficulties. Engelmeier, the president of SoVD, emphasizes that this measure could discourage families from having children, considering that 55% of people believe they cannot afford to have children in Germany.