Simple change planned in the PKV

The change to private health insurance (PKV) is allegedly facilitated

(14.08.2010) As part of health care reform, the federal government plans to facilitate the change from the statutory health insurance to private health insurance (PKV). At any rate, this was reported today by the newspaper "Welt" (Saturday edition). The newspaper refers to internal coalition of the black and yellow federal government.

So far, employees have to exceed the compulsory insurance limit for three consecutive years in order to be able to switch to private health insurance. The federal government is now planning to loosen up the legal requirements for this. Now, more, there should be no more compulsory years. Employees only need to earn more than 4162.50 euros a month. After that, an employee can switch to private health insurance. Other reports claim that only the mandatory annual limit should be reduced to one year. This means that you have to earn continuously over 4162.50 euros a month for at least one year to change. The new regulation should enter into force at the beginning of the year. So the world quotes the coalition circles: "We will implement this on 1 January 2011". An appeal to the Federal Council is not necessary.

Furthermore, the government circles report that the model regulations should also be relaxed at the statutory health insurance. In this way, insured persons can decide in future whether they will pay for the doctor's medical expenses themselves and later repay the money from their health insurance. This would be in line with private health insurance regulations. Although the cost reimbursement model is already available for some health insurance companies, it has hardly been used so far. This was mainly due to the financially unattractive conditions of the tariffs. Through a corresponding new regulation, the federal government hopes for more "transparency" and new models of the funds.

If this regulation were actually implemented, the social compensation could be out of balance with the health insurance companies. Because many employees, who earn above average, would turn their back on the legal because of the partially better private health insurance conditions. Smaller health insurance could be in financial difficulties because they lose healthy and high contributors. Because especially for young, healthy and single employees, a change in private health insurance could be financially interesting. (Sb, fp)

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Picture: Margot Kessler