Replacement funds do not exclude additional contribution

Compensation funds do not rule out additional contributions for 2011: Health insurances already prepare insured persons for further additional contributions. The Ministry of Health weighs down: "The statutory health insurance would be financed by".

(05.11.2010) Increases in statutory health insurance contributions are unlikely to be sufficient to prevent additional contributions. In any case, the health insurance companies do not want to promise that there will be no further flat-rate additional contributions to the insured. Because despite the good economic situation, numerous additional funds are threatening additional contributions. The third largest health insurance company in Germany, the DAK, has already become known to insiders that it will not be possible to do without the additional income in the coming year. Now, the Association of Ersatzkassen (VDEK) announced that additional revenue from the higher contributions do not arrive at the coffers. „Higher premium income only flows into the health fund and does not reach us“, VDEK chairman Thomas Ballast told the Berliner „Tagesspiegel“ on Friday. At the same time, doctors' fees for private dentists, general practitioners and hospitals are increasing. As a result, more and even higher additional contributions will come to the insured: So Ballast said: The extra expenditure will probably lead to, „that the health insurances will have to demand more additional contributions in 2011 than before“.

So far, the Federal Minister of Health Philipp Rösler (FDP) has always said that the higher contributions from 2011 will prevent further additional contributions. Currently, nine health insurances (for example, DAK and KKH Allianz) require an additional eight euros per month from their insured. These are for the insured overspend of 100 euros per year. Three other health insurance companies require a percentage additional contribution of one percent of the average gross salary. Instead of finding a uniform regulation, however, increases in the Federal Ministry of Health, however, the pressure on the coffers. So it was declared that the insured „look very closely at which health insurance companies behave like“. Because one wants to create thereby an artificial competition and force the cash registers to it, „economically“ to act. Nevertheless one sticks to the argument that the health system of the legal health insurance „funded by“ are. Actually, no additional contribution was necessary, as it was called from the Ministry.

Doctors and clinics will receive more money from 2011 than previously expected
Above all, the substitute health funds complain that the Federal Government has made further changes to the planned health care reform. Thus, the fees for doctors and clinics increase many times more than previously agreed. The established physicians get to the actually agreed higher fees again a supplement of a whopping 120 million euros. For the dentists, another surcharge of 27 million euros was agreed and the hospitals will receive an additional 400 million euros. The surcharges would now have to raise the health insurance by itself and receive no higher budgets from the health fund. Conversely, this means that the higher expenses will be passed on directly to the insured.

Local health insurance funds in financially bad position?
According to further information of the newspaper it could become financially close for some AOK health insurance companies in the next year. „We go to 2011 without any additional contributions, but we can not promise that we will be able to do it all year round“, commented a spokeswoman for the AOK Bayern. This shows how careful the coffers are at present, so as not to scare the insured. Also at the AOK Berlin-Brandenburg, which at the beginning of the year with the AOK Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to the total fund „AOK Northeast“ wants to close together, keeping you covered. One can not give a guarantee, whether in the coming year no further burden on the Kassenpatienten. One would first like to see how the reforms are implemented. That's why you do not give them „Full-year warranty“ from. Two health insurances, Barmer GEK and Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), however, exclude additional contributions for the year 2011 categorically. Many cash registers are currently trying to drive mergers forward to stand on a firmer footing.

Insured persons who are affected by additional contributions have a special right to termination. As soon as the health fund announces an additional contribution to the members, those affected can change the health insurance. However, this should happen within six weeks of the announcement. (Sb)

Also read:
DAK also demands an additional contribution in 2011
Hartz IV: Additional contribution deleted in 2011
Health insurance companies criticize doctors' fees

Picture credits: Chris Beck