AOK with 500 million euros in deficit

General local health insurance with 500 million euros in deficit

06/03/2011

The total of 12 general local health insurance funds (AOK) have recorded a deficit of about half a billion euros last year. This is reported by the Handelsblatt in its current issues, referring to internal circles of the health insurance companies. The fund had received too much compensation funds from the health fund.

AOK in the red
In the last year of 2010, the total of 12 health insurances of the AOK Association recorded a deficit of 500 million euros. According to internal health insurance circles corrections to the negative result introduced in 2009 „disease-oriented financial equalization between the statutory health insurance funds“ guided. First, the cashier would have received significantly higher payments. In retrospect, however, the Federal Insurance Office had corrected the financial compensation significantly downwards. Without this correction, the Kassenverbund would have shown a solid and almost balanced budget.

The AOK is not affected alone. According to the newspaper report, the initially positive result of the German employee health insurance (DAK) with a surplus of 62 million euros, had been transformed by the reorganization of the compensation in a deficit of about 79 million euros. Also the Barmer GEK had to let clear feathers. Here too, the result had to be calculated down to a deficit of 298 million euros. The winner was the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) with a surplus of a whopping 558 million euros. No other fund could show such a good final result.

AOK Bayern sentenced for reimbursement
In the troubled AOK about 17.5 million people are covered by health insurance in Germany. In 2009, health economists predicted Verbund a record result of 771 million euros. Only the AOK Bayern had to refund about 91 million euros to the health fund due to the excessively received compensatory amounts. An urgent procedure of the cash register before the Landessozialgericht in Munich was rejected. The convergence funds must now be paid back in twelve monthly installments. While the DAK has had to raise additional contributions since spring 2010, AOK insured persons are still spared. (Sb)

Read about AOK:
AOK Nordost starts without additional fees
AOK Bayern has to repay 91 million euros

Image: Logo AOK