Health News

Abolition of the free coinsurance?

Market-radical economists demand the abolition of free co-insurance from the statutory health insurance

06/30/2011

Non-contributory co-insurance for unemployed spouses is, according to the managing director of the initiative New Social Market Economy (INSM), Hubertus Pellengahr, „roughly unfair“ and should therefore be abolished. The employer-related initiative explained that contributions from statutory health insurance could be reduced by a total of 0.7 percentage points as a result of the participation of previously co-insured persons.

According to Hubertus Pellengahr, the free co-insurance of non-working spouses is one „stove premium“ and that unfairly favors families with an income over the double earners. The employer-affiliated INSM therefore demanded on Wednesday in Berlin the abolition of non-contributory co-insurance and a participation of the unemployed spouse in the health insurance with 126 euros per month. In this way, the contributions of the statutory health insurance funds could be significantly reduced overall, explained the expert.

Free co-insurance grossly unfair?
The INSM managing director referred to a recent study by the financial scientist Prof. Bernd Raffelhüschen from the Center for Generational Research of the Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg. This had in his investigations „Fehlfinazierungen“ € 100 billion has been identified in social security systems and this has largely been blamed for the growing financial difficulties in covering benefits. The employer-friendly initiative New Social Market Economy has now picked out the free co-insurance and this as a cost-pushing and „roughly unfair“ criticized. Here families would be massively favored with one earner opposite double earners. According to INSM Managing Director Pellengahr, the contributory co-insurance of about five million housewives and men „nothing more than a stove premium“. If it goes after the employer-related institute, the hitherto free insured spouse should pay in the future a lump sum of about 126 euros per month as a health insurance contribution. All in all, the contribution rate of the statutory health insurances could drop by 0.7 percentage points in this way, explained Pellengahr.

Bad financing in the billions
In addition to the free co-insurance, generational researcher Prof. Bernd Raffelhüschen has criticized in his study for the initiative New Social Market Economy massive maladministration in social security systems. The renowned and liberal-minded specialist criticized „lack financing“ amounting to around 93 billion euros in statutory pension insurance. These „lack financing“ According to Raffelhüschen, for example, higher pensions result for residents of the former GDR, since the contributions would be more heavily credited. The generation researcher also believes that parenting and vocational training in pension insurance should not be valued as hitherto. Raffelhüschen named numerous „dirt elements“ which have been incorporated into the social systems for decades by the politicians, even though these would actually be family benefits that would have to be financed through tax revenues. If funding through the tax would „also rich and civil servants at the redistribution“ which, according to the expert, would again contribute considerably more justice to the system of social security. In addition, pension contributions could be cut by up to 1.5 percentage points, said Raffelhüschen.

SPD health expert criticized termination of the principle of solidarity
The reaction of the social organizations and the SPD to the initiative of the New Social Market Economy initiative was extremely critical. The SPD health expert Elke Ferner called the proposals of the INSM „more than cynical“ and explained that especially the abolition of free co-insurance one „Termination of the solidarity principle in the statutory health insurance“ would represent. According to the SPD politician is not the free co-insurance of unemployed spouses the problem, but the so-called spouse tax, which makes a job for many wives simply unprofitable. Spouses' taxation schemes often tax their working wives much more heavily, which in the end reduces their net income to the extent that they are thoroughly considering whether to return to work. Thus, in the opinion of the SPD health expert, urgent consideration should be given to new rules on spousal taxation, rather than premature promulgation of abolition of co-insurance. In addition, the SPD requirement for minimum wages is a key factor in solving financial problems in social welfare systems. Because „the social security funds would have such additional revenues, which go into the billions“ Elke Ferner explained.

Non-marital partners can not benefit
However, life partners who do not live together in a marriage are again ignored in view of the discussions about possible fairness in free co-insurance and spousal taxation. Anyone who does not accept marriage as the basis for living together as a partner can not benefit from the possible tax benefits and benefits of health insurance in Germany - even if de facto does not make any difference between his relationship and a marriage in everyday life. This raises the question of whether this situation is not possibly also grossly unfair to the extramarital partners. Certainly, in our Christian society, the Marriage of the Marriage has a very high priority, but to make it by law a prerequisite for a large part of the benefits, seems a bit outdated today. (Fp)