DAK health now without additional contribution

New statutory health insurance DAK-health is at the start and creates additional contribution

01/06/2012

The merger between DAK, BKK Gesundheit and BKK Axel Springer was sealed today in a meeting of the Board of Directors. During the inaugural meeting, new board members of the new DAK Health were elected. Positive for the insured: From the second quarter of 2012, no additional contributions should be levied.

The merger of Deutscher Angestellten Krankenkasse and BKK Gesundheit and BKK Axel Springer company health insurance funds was approved today by the Board of Directors at a constituent meeting. From the three statutory health insurance will now emerge the DAK health. In addition, the Board of Directors elected a new Board of Management. Chairman of the board of the new DAK health is Herbert Rebscher, vice chairman is Claus Moldenhauer. Both persons already held the functions at the DAK. The former board member of BKK Gesundheit, Thomas Bodmer is now a member of the board of the new fund.

850 service points throughout Germany
The old DAK assumes that the „DAK-Gesundheit is setting new trends in the SHI market“ will put. „It will be quickly and personally accessible to customers as a large replacement fund with local service centers throughout Germany. At the same time, she will further develop the tailor-made offers of company health insurance funds in occupational health management“, said Hans Bender. Two different models in the health insurance system will create a new business model for „Employer as highly attractive to employees“, explained Horst Zöller the direction of DAK health. It is planned to maintain over 850 service centers throughout Germany, which are responsible for the advice and service of the insured.

From April 2012 no additional contributions
From the first of April, DAK Gesundheit wants to cancel the previous additional contribution. All merging health insurance companies currently require an additional contribution of eight euros per month. The abolition of the additional contribution had already been included in the draft budget of DAK Health. Now, the Federal Insurance Office (BVA) must give its consent for the deletion. The new board assumes that the approval is given by the BVA. „We will submit to the Federal Insurance Office a solidly calculated, approved budget. It is therefore clear that DAK Health will not make an additional contribution in the future“, so Herbert Rebscher. However, the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors must discuss the future budget. That will be the case on the 26th of January.

The merger creates a new nationwide health insurance. According to the health insurance fund, around 5.1 million members and 6.6 million insured persons will be covered by health insurance in DAK Health. The new health insurance company will no longer belong to the BKK association, but to the association of alternative health insurance companies and will have its headquarters in the Hanseatic city of Hamburg.

What do insured people have to do now??
Nothing changes for the insured. You can continue to use your previous health insurance card for doctor visits or hospital stays. Gradually, the cards are then exchanged. The new cash card will then be in the format of the electronic health card.

Fusion for new strength
All three funds had to demand additional contributions from their members in recent years because the allocations from the health fund were no longer sufficient. As a result, many cash-desk patients made use of their special right of termination and switched to another health insurance. By abolishing the extra amount, DAK Gesundheit hopes for a stable membership structure. The merger is to strengthen the health insurance on the cash register by the newly acquired size. This improves the bargaining position, for example, towards pharmaceutical manufacturers, in order to negotiate better terms and save costs. Whether the merger and the abolition of the additional contribution will succeed, will show at the latest in the course or at the end of the year. (Sb)

Also read:
No additional contribution to DAK Gesundheit?
Supplementary contribution: Supervision supervises DAK
DAK health after merger without additional contribution
No health insurance increase in 2012
Difficult fusion of DAK and BKK health
DAK & BKK Gesundheit becomes DAK Gesundheit
DAK: Additional contributions are to blame for the financial problem

Picture: DAK Service