DAK also demands an additional contribution in 2011

DAK additional contribution also in 2011

The health insurance DAK requires all appearances in the coming year 2011, an additional contribution from their insured.

The statutory health insurance DAK is expected to demand in the coming year, an additional contribution from their insured. And that, although Federal Health Minister Philipp Rösler (FDP) had promised a stable public health insurance in the course of health care reform.

Additional contributions of eight euros also in 2011
According to information from the "Frankfurter Rundschau", Deutsche Angestellten Krankenkasse (DAK) will demand an additional contribution from its members next year as well. The newspaper relies on information from the DAK Board of Directors. Here, the Rundschau cited an "insider" of the DAK: "We will also need an additional contribution in 2011". In addition to the regular health insurance contribution, the DAK currently levies a flat-rate additional contribution of eight euros per month per member. That's about 100 euros more a year.

Many changed the health insurance and made use of their right of termination
Of course, one knows at the DAK that additional contributions do not attract new insured and rather put off. According to official data, around 241,000 DAK insured persons changed their health insurance until the middle of the year. Including the non-contributory co-insured, even around 307,000 people left the DAK. As a spokeswoman for the health insurance company said at the time, however, the DAK would have lost 60,000 insured due to deaths or changes to non-contributory family insurance. For if a health insurance company requires an additional contribution from their insured, cash register members can make use of their special right of termination. It appears that many availed themselves of this right of termination. According to estimates, in 2010 about half a million people changed their health insurance because of additional contributions.

The budget of the fund will be adopted on 15 December. Then it should also be final, if the DAK 2011 additional fee needed. "Of course we discuss this question internally, but there is no decision on that," said a DAK spokesman. It is also not clear how much the health insurance company received from the financial compensation of the health fund last year. "It's still unclear what to expect.".

With approximately 4.7 million insured DAK is the third largest health insurance in Germany. The DAK was one of the first funds, which demanded an additional lump sum of 8 euros in February 2010. The fund must therefore ask for additional contributions because the funds it receives from the health fund are not sufficient for the health services of its members. According to the Frankfurter Rundschau, everything indicates that the fund will also have to make an additional contribution in the coming year.

Rising expenses in the statutory health insurance
According to estimates by health economists, the expenditures of the statutory health insurance in 2011 from 172.4 to 178.9 billion euros. The receipts of the cash registers increase from 170.3 billion euros on the expenditure required for the expenditure. In the course of the year, all health insurance companies have to raise 2.1 billion euros themselves, either through savings in their own system or through additional contributions. Most health insurance companies assume that the additional expenses can be compensated by the contribution increases from 14.9 to 15.5 percent. However, the Federal Minister of Health has "wise foresight" created the possibility that funds in the course of health care reform can determine the amount of additional contributions from 2011 itself.

In the future, nationwide additional contributions?
According to calculations by the DGB, most insured persons will be spared additional contributions in the coming year, but the trade union federation expects the additional contributions to increase massively in the next 5 to 10 years, because the costs in the health system are steadily rising. The health economist Jürgen Wasem says: "If I have a large number of insured health insurance companies in expensive regions, where there are expensive hospitals, or in a region where doctors prescribe expensive medicines, it can be that I have problems getting away without a deficit . "That means: in the future, health insureds will not be spared additional contributions despite or because of the health care reform. (sb, 03.11.2010)

If health insurances make an additional contribution from their insured persons, members can make use of the changes resulting from their special right of termination. The notice period for a special termination is two months to the end of the month. The additional contribution or the increased additional contribution does not have to be paid by the insured during the period of notice. However, there is a health insurance obligation, which means you have to look for a new health insurance within the notice period. But beware, you should look carefully, which health insurance companies have not already announced an additional contribution, otherwise you have to change again after only a short time. However, merging a cash register, so you can not make use of his special right of termination.

According to the will of the Federal Government, the limitation of the upper limit of the additional contributions should disappear in the course of the health reform. From the coming year 2011, the health insurance companies are allowed to set the upper limit for additional contributions independently. Currently, the additional contribution of the statutory health insurance is limited to a maximum of 1 percent of the gross salary of the employee. The maximum additional contribution is 37.50 euros per month.

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