AOK Nordost Neue Riesenkasse from 2011

AOK Nordost: New large health insurance from 2011.

(28.08.2010) The wave of mergers among the statutory health insurance companies continues. The Board of Directors of the AOK Berlin-Brandenburg and the AOK Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have decided that the two health insurance companies merge on 01.01.2010 under the new name AOK Northeast.

With the merger, the two AOKen want to join forces in order to increase their competitiveness and to meet the ever-increasing competitive pressure in the field of health insurance. With almost 1.8 million members (1.3 million AOK Berlin-Brandenburg, 475,000 AOK Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), the AOK Nordost will in future form the ninth largest statutory health insurance in Germany. The headquarters of the new AOK is expected to be Potsdam. However, the merger still needs to be approved by the supervisory authorities of the countries concerned.

The changes in the health system introduced so far by the black-and-yellow coalition government have significantly increased the competitive pressure among health insurance funds. In particular, the collection of additional contributions has brought some health insurance massive member losses. So hopes the designated CEO of the new AOK Northeast, Frank Michalak “through synergies in-house, a better negotiating position towards contract partners and further membership growth (...) also in 2011 no additional contribution to raise.” From the point of view of Friedrich Wilhelm Bluschke, CEO of the AOK Mecklenburg Vorpommern, the requirements of the competition are decisive for the merger. In addition, the merger is also an important signal for a secure future for employees, because “With the merger, there will be job security at the new AOK Northeast“, so Bluschke. Both CEOs emphasize that the network of offices and service points will be maintained with the existing 112 locations in the region.

According to the future CEO of AOK Nordost, Frank Michalak, however, the promise to raise no additional contributions in 2011 can only be met if the current commitments to reduce costs at all levels of the health system are implemented from the direction of politics. In addition to contributors and health insurers, other providers of healthcare services must also contribute to financing in order to absorb the ever-increasing costs of demographic change, Michalak said.

The wave of mergers among the health insurances, which was already expected by all experts on the basis of the health care reform of 2007, is therefore continuing. Since then, the number of statutory insurances has already been reduced from over 230 to currently 163. The AOK Berlin-Brandenburg, which is now set to open in the new AOK Nordost, was also created at the beginning of this year by the merger of the general local health insurance funds in Berlin and Brandenburg.

However, industry experts see the current wave of mergers with growing concern and initial voices warn against a possible collapse of the health system. While there was always the possibility, the health insurance in case of lack of funding a possible bankruptcy at the Federal Insurance Office, some health insurance companies have already reached a size in the course of mergers, which excludes such a procedure (similar to the banking crisis). Some experts, such as Rolf Stuppardt of the Federal Association of the Innungskassen even assume that the current mergers in general „Little to do with health economic goals“ but essentially serve to reach a system-relevant size in order to be rescued in the event of a possible bankruptcy from the state. (Fp)

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