Bahr criticizes blockades of private health insurance companies

Health system: More competition required: Health Minister Bahr criticizes blockades in private health insurance

08/07/2013

Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr (FDP) has argued in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) for more competition in private health insurance. He sees room for improvement in private and public funds and criticizes that blocks the self-government too many projects.

More competition required
Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr has spoken in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) on deficits in private, as well as statutory health insurance. The FDP politician criticized that the Kassenverband had become too powerful, blocks of self-government, and that private insurance (PKV) lack of competition. „I want more competition in PKV“, said Bahr in the conversation that will be published this Monday.

Dubious practices
Built-up provisions for old age should be able to be taken on a change from one to another company in the future. The minister wants to take care of that. This is especially true for older insured persons who complain about rising premiums but are bound to the provider. „I want to change, age provisions should be taken“, so Bahr. Although required by law, some providers fail to comply with the requirement that older policyholders should be offered a more favorable tariff upon request. He also criticized companies that lured new insured people with low-priced offers, in which the scope of services is very low. „Such practices are frivolous, but we go against them.“ He called on the private health insurance association to define minimum conditions so that not too many benefits could be excluded.

Health card is not progressing
The self-administration of the health insurance funds, doctors, pharmacists and hospitals blocks too many projects, according to Bahr, who has headed the Ministry of Health for two years. „Resistance and deportation annoy me. That nothing progresses with the electronic health card, is also such an example.“ Thus, the electronic health card has already devoured hundreds of millions. So far, 728 million euros have been invested - with no benefit for the patients.

The statutory health insurances (GKV) blame the doctors for the debacle, which would hinder the project. The Kassenärztliche Federal Association (KBV) dismissed the charge, however. He also sees a need for change in the influential association of statutory health insurance. For example, the GKV-Spitzenverband negotiates the prices for novel medicines with the pharmaceutical companies or the framework conditions for fees with the organizations of physicians, dentists and pharmacists. According to Bahr, the association would be too far removed from what the coffers want.

Plans for the next term
Despite all criticism, the minister also saw positives: „Some providers open up for employees with pre-existing conditions, limiting the risk premiums. One should extend this to the craft.“ Regarding retirement provisions, the minister has already talked about his party's plans for a possible government participation after the federal elections in September: „That's a complex topic, so no one has solved that yet, but it's doable. The FDP wants to solve the entrainment in the next legislative period. This strengthens PKV.“ For the Minister of Health, the reform of hospital financing and the restructuring of long-term care insurance are the key challenges in the next legislative period. (Ad)