Three health insurance companies waive additional contributions

Three statutory health insurances do not want to raise additional contributions in 2011.

(16.08.2010) Three health insurance companies have announced for the year 2011, to demand no additional contributions from their insured. The competition between the funds is increasing, because health insurance companies, which make an additional contribution from their members, are currently experiencing a sharp decline in membership. On the other hand health insurance companies, which do not make additional contributions, of the „wishing to switch“ profit greatly and recorded significant gains.

The two largest health insurance companies, Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) and Barmer GEK have jointly announced that they will not raise additional contributions from their insured persons in 2011. "Until far into the year 2011, we can do without additional contribution," said a spokeswoman for the Techniker health insurance company compared to the "Handelsblatt". Also the Barmer GEK boss Birgit Fischer confirmed to the newspaper: "we plan also 2011 without additional contribution."

However, Fischer warned that an important prerequisite for this was that the upcoming health care reform would not thwart the plan and that austerity measures would exclude some professions such as general practitioners or service providers (pharmacies). In health care reform, it is important that everyone participates in the austerity measures. Fischer therefore called on the federal government, even against the resistance of the family doctors association to implement the planned limitation of doctors' fees in the GP-centered care. Because only by the family doctor contracts are no improvements in benefits recognizable, limiting the extreme increases in fees, however, could bring forward austerity measures.

The AOK Rheinland-Hamburg also assumes that it will not raise additional contributions in 2011. This would not be an issue until the middle of next year, as AOK chairman Wilfried Jacobs commented. But it is time that the policy for a clear funding of the coffers worry, so Jacobs on.

Health insurance, which collects additional contributions, clearly loses to members.
How important it is for health insurance companies, no additional contributions must raise, shows the example of the German Employees Health Insurance (DAK). Since the introduction of an additional contribution, DAK has lost over 300,000 insured persons. BKK Gesundheit also lost around 244,000 insured in the first half of 2010. This was also confirmed by the industry service "dfg". In contrast, the health insurance funds have increased significantly, which require no additional fees. Thus TK gained about 238,000 members. Other health insurance funds such as the AOK Bayern or the Barmer GEK were also able to register significant increases in membership. In order to keep this, it is important for the health insurance funds not to collect additional contributions, since otherwise they are also affected by the migratory movements of the insured.

Federal Health Minister plans no further increases in contributions to the health insurance.
The created competition with the legal health insurance delighted the Federal Minister of Health Philipp Rösler (FDP). He expressed his confidence that no other statutory health insurance companies will make additional contributions. By raising the contribution rate in 2011, insured persons should not be charged further. So said Rösler: "Insured should not be charged additional, for example, not by higher co-payments and not by additional additional contributions," the Minister told the Deutschlandfunk in Berlin. However, according to media reports, the entry requirements for private health insurance for better earners relaxed, which could endanger the once again.

Rösler wants to implement austerity measures in health care reform.
Rösler is determined to enforce the planned savings plans at clinics, doctors and pharmacies to prevent the billions deficit in the health system. For the year 2011 alone, a deficit of around 11 billion euros is expected in the health fund. But the measures should be sufficient so that no additional costs for the insured arise. How the health care system's financial performance develops in 2012 depends on further reforms. after the „small health reform“ On the way, Rösler wanted to improve the health system "overall", and the health insurance companies „competitive“ and „more efficient“ close. The Minister did not present concrete measures. However, it can be assumed that the health insurance funds must increasingly embark on the situation of how private companies act. For a number of especially smaller health insurance companies, this potentially means the financial future, because in the market can then only assert health insurance companies that have reached a certain size. That's why more and more health insurances are merging. (sb, fp)

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