The AOK levies an additional contribution for the first time

AOK Plus will make an additional contribution

06/21/2014

In the coming year, insured persons of the health insurance AOK Plus in Saxony and Thuringia have to pay an additional contribution for the first time. But as the health insurance announced on Friday in Dresden, the members will still have to pay less than before.

AOK Plus levies additional contribution in the coming year for the first time
In the coming year, the insured persons of the AOK Plus in Saxony and Thuringia will receive an additional contribution for the first time. Nevertheless, the health insurance members will have less to pay than before. „Overall, the contribution is lower than now“, said the deputy chairman of the board, Iris Kloppich on Friday in Dresden. In 2015, the contribution rate generally falls from 15.5 to 14.6 percent due to the healthcare reform. However, under the new regulation, insurances can levy income-related additional contributions.

Members will pay less than before
According to AOK Plus, the future contribution will be more than 14.6 percent, but less than the current 15.5 percent. The health insurance company with around 2.7 million members in Saxony and Thuringia is market leader with an insured share of almost 50 percent in Saxony. For the coming year, the box office looks well equipped: „We have a solid financial foundation.“ The AOK Plus closed the 2013 financial year with a plus of more than 200 million euros. The fund is represented by around 140 branches in both free states and employs around 6,500 people.

The AOK plus will by no means remain the only fund that will require an additional contribution. Therefore, experts advise: "first wait and see how the situation continues to change a change is still possible".

Especially hospital expenses have increased
All in all, insured persons took benefits for about 8.2 billion euros. That was 6.2 percent more than the year before. In particular, hospital spending rose by 3.5 percent to 3.1 billion euros. Just recently, experts warned that health insurers might focus on saving clinics. For example, the SPD parliamentary group vice-president Karl Lauterbach warned against excessive savings at the hospitals. Opposite the „Münster's newspaper“ he said „The clinics must not become a moneybox.“ (Ad)