Medicare discounts also for the PKV

Healthcare reform: drug discounts for PKV.

The extension of the drug rebate to the private health insurance (PHI) in the context of health care reform, was in the current version already sharply in the criticism. It was one of the main reasons that Federal Health Minister Philipp Rösler (FDP) has often been exposed in recent weeks to the accusation of clientele policy. Now it is clear that the federal government plans to extend the manufacturer rebate of 16 percent to the private health insurance (PKV) in addition to the mandatory rebates.

Adaptation in terms of private health insurance
While the black-yellow federal government has hitherto opposed any adjustments made by the critics from the opposition, trade unions, social associations, etc., the CDU / CSU and FDP continue to readily accept the demands of private health insurance. Because even if the granted discounts are to be provided with the restriction that the savings thus achieved exclusively for „Limitation of premium increases or premium reduction“ may be used, the proposed adjustment is likely to be in line with PKV. The health spokesman for the Union Group, Jens Spahn, does not want to hear about clientele policy, justifies the proposed changes: „We want the drug savings to reach the individual insured and not the profits of the insurance companies.“ However, Spahn does not explain why manufacturers' rebates have to be transferred to private insurers in addition to compulsory discounts.

Private health insurance benefits from health care reform
In any case, private health insurance companies have so far done well in health care reform. Facilitating the change from statutory health insurance to private health insurance and the abolition of supplementary health insurance in the statutory health insurance (SHI) are just two examples in which the private health insurance clearly benefit from the previous reform decisions. And the amendment on transferring producer rebates to private insurers, which the health experts of the coalition parties voted yesterday, points in the same direction. The compulsory discounts are negotiated by the statutory insurances when introducing a new drug with the manufacturer. Over the next three years (until August 2013), pharmaceutical manufacturers will be obliged to grant the GKV an additional manufacturer discount of 16 percent. In addition, previous drug prices have been fixed for the same period in order to make the development of the cost of medicines in insurance companies more calculable. According to the now-known plans of the black-yellow coalition government, the manufacturer's discount should apply in the future for private health insurance.

Pharmaceutical industry expects sales losses
As expected, the pharmaceutical industry responded immediately with harsh criticism, because drug manufacturers fear massive sales losses and a slump in their profits. Cornelia Yzer, managing director of the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (VfA), speaks of a loss of sales of around EUR 500 million due to an extension of the rebate scheme. And, in order not to understand her criticism exclusively as a lobby interest, Cornelia Yzer added that state intervention how compulsory rebates are justified only in order to stabilize the state solidarity system. However, since private health insurance companies are profit-oriented companies, these can not slip under the roof of the parastatal health insurance funds in order to benefit from state support in accordance with the GKV.

„State Support Package "for the PKV
Also from the statutory health insurance followed after the announcement of the amendments considerable criticism. The new regulations are one „state support package "for the private health insurance, explained the spokesman of the top association of statutory health insurance, Florian Lanz Now is officially confirmed that the private health insurance without negotiating skills of the statutory health insurance no longer get along.Moreover, Lanz noted as remarkable that the private health insurance as a niche provider For good earners and civil servants not face the challenges of a solidarity system, but still need the help of the legislature.

Private health insurance companies criticize administrative expenses
But even with the PKV there are, despite all advantages critical voices. After all, the reform will increase the administrative burden on the private health insurance companies, as they are to set up a central office for the collection of discounts for industry in the future. Here, the supporting documents submitted by insured persons for reimbursement must be collected and evaluated to ensure that the deduction is granted only within the prescribed limits. However, this could mean that much of the savings would be needed for the additional administration needed, a spokesperson for the association said. That the private health insurance an exclusive use of additional revenue to „Limitation of premium increases or premium reduction“ is a thorn in the side, as well as the criticism of the pharmaceutical manufacturers, but rather based on self-interests than the concern for the well-being of the insured. (fp, 08.10.2010)

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