The price of public health insurance is based on your income. If you earn less money, you pay less for your health insurance.
The Mindestbeitrag is the minimum amount you can pay for health insurance. If you earn less than 1,248.33€ per month, the price stops going down.1
There is a different Mindestbeitrag for students over 29 years old and freelancers, the Selbstständige Mindestbeitrag. It’s around 270€.