AOK North West health insurance merger perfect

AOK: health insurance merger perfectly

After numerous announcements and preparations, the time has come: The AOK Westfalen-Lippe and the AOK Schleswig-Holstein form since the first Okotober a joint health insurance with the name AOK North-West. The head office of the cash register will be the town of Hörde.

The merger of the Allgemeine Ortskrankenkassen Westfalen-Lippe and the AOK Schleswig-Holstein is perfect. Since October 1, 2010 both form a common health insurance with the title „AOK North-West“. In the new statutory health insurance now about 2.8 million people are covered by health insurance. According to the new CEO Martin Litsch, the AOK thus has a budget of around 7.5 billion euros and is one of the ten largest health insurance companies in Germany after the merger.

What changes for insured persons?
What happens to the insured? „Actually, nothing changes“, so lychee. „The insured will benefit from the merger.“ Because by the merger, the budget of the health insurance is secured, so that in 2011 no additional contributions from the members must be collected. In addition, the service and the health services should be optimized, as it was said. „With a tighter organization we are better on the spot as a service provider“, announced AOK boss lychee.

Many health insurance companies are planning a merger
More and more health insurances are pushing to merge with others. As a health insurer grows in size, it can better respond to financial constraints and contingencies. In addition, the risk of necessary additional contributions can be minimized. Even with the health insurance companies, the additional burdens for the insured are unpopular. At the beginning of the year, 16 health insurances had introduced an additional contribution. With the result that especially many young and healthy members changed the cash register. In order to prevent this, many, especially smaller funds, are looking for partners to prevent additional burdens for the insured and to stabilize their own financial situation. Experts assume that the number of health insurance companies will be greatly reduced in the next few years, as more and more funds push for a merger.

Patient receipts will be introduced after successful medical treatment
The AOK North-West wants to break new ground now. Patient Acknowledgments will be sent to AOK members following announcements. This means that after each visit to the doctor, a receipt is issued to the insured, listing the costs and health benefits. „This will be a kind of bank statement with an overview of all services provided“, declared lychee. The receipts should serve to introduce a certain cost control. Patients should be able to see which services have been performed and in what amount. However, the model is not to be confused with the favored by the Federal Minister of Health Philipp Rösler cost reimbursement project. A prepayment is not planned.

Second opinion planned for serious illnesses
It is also planned to get insured persons with very serious illnesses (such as cancer) to get a second medical opinion. So far, such a health service was reserved only for private patients. At the beginning of 2011, these plans are to be implemented.

No layoffs planned by AOK employees
The employees of the two merged funds do not have to worry about their future. According to the AOK North-West no layoffs are planned due to the merger. Currently, about 7,600 employees work in about 230 service centers at the cash register. Whether a further merger with the AOK Rheinland / Hamburg takes place, is still unclear. At the beginning of the year there were first talks about it. These are currently „Laid ice“. (sb, 03.10.2010)

Also read:
New AOK Northeast planned
Additional contributions at the AOK at the beginning of May?
Merger of AOK to AOK Plus