Barmer boss calls for abolish unit contribution

Interview with Barmer boss: The Barmer chairman calls for abolition of the unit contribution

06/10/2013

The CEO of Barmer-Krankenkasse has spoken out in an interview for the abolition of the uniform health insurance contribution in the next legislative period.

More competition in the healthcare system
Even if it is not yet known what the future federal government will look like, initial demands are already being addressed to it. For example, the chairman of the board of the health insurance company Barmer GEK, Christoph Straub, demands from the next federal government a comprehensive health care reform. Concretely, he spoke out in favor of the abolition of the uniform health insurance contribution. Straub said in an interview with the Bild newspaper on Saturday that the funds would need to be able to re-allocate their contributions themselves in order to gain more competition in the healthcare system. The additional contribution, however, failed and is abolished.

Government can not avoid comprehensive reform
„The next government can not avoid a comprehensive reform“, so Straub. „The health fund in the current form was intended by the last major coalition as a transitional arrangement. This has not proven so and needs to be restructured.“ The chairman also expects that the billion-euro reserves of health insurance already in 2014 „shrink enormously“ become. As a reason, he sees the expected additional expenditure for clinics, doctors and pharmacies. The reserves of health insurance funds and health funds totaled around 29 billion euros at the end of June.

All parties know that something must happen
Straub seems to have chosen the time of his demands well. Because if the topic health care reform should end up on the agenda of the negotiating partners during the exploratory talks, there is the possibility that it later also stands in the coalition agreement. Straub is based on the insight of politicians: „All parties know that something must happen quickly in order to maintain and improve good health care. No matter what coalition comes - it will tackle health issues. And that is urgently needed.“ (Ad)

Image: Thomas Siepmann