DAK joins forces with BKK Health

The health insurances DAK and BKK health want to merge.

(01.07.2010) More and more statutory health insurance funds want to merge. Now, the second largest health insurance could arise in Germany, because the German Employees Health Insurance (DAK) and the health insurance BKK health want to close together to a box office.

The financial pressure on the health insurance companies is getting bigger. It seems as if many funds are looking for salvation in associations. And that's a good thing, because as a large health insurance financial impassibilities can be better balanced. After the Barmer and Gmünder Ersatzkasse merged into a large health insurance fund at the beginning of the year, DAK and BKK Gesundheit are now trying their luck in the merger. The new health insurance will then be called "DAK Health" and would be the second largest health insurance in the Federal Republic after the merger.

The DAK chairman Herbert Rebscher told the Financial Times Deutschland (FTD) that a new large health insurance company could go into stronger negotiations with drug manufacturers. Just yesterday, the Federal Ministry of Health introduced a new bill. According to this, pharmaceutical companies must negotiate the prices of medicines with the health insurances in the future. If there is no agreement, a state arbitration board decides. As a large health insurance company, the negotiation can be conducted more on equal terms. Rebscher also made clear that a large health insurance company can respond better to the growing economic tasks. A large health insurance company has a balanced insured structure. Small GKV´s can quickly get into trouble, even if only a few "risk patients" are insured in the fund.

When exactly the merger will take place, is not yet clear. According to DAK chief, the negotiations would be conducted for over a year. The line should be taken over by both funds in equal proportions. Whether in the course of the merger, a reduction in personnel will take place, can not be ruled out at this time. Only after the negotiations are exact plans for the merger to be published. However, the financial cushion is likely to be balanced in both funds, DAK and BKK health levy since the beginning of the year, a flat-rate additional contribution from their insured. In the event of a merger, the benefits do not change for the insured. (Sb)

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