Expert Rapid increase in additional contributions

Expert: Rapid increase in additional contributions. PKV welcomes the planned health care reform.

Two weeks before the adoption of the Medicines Act and the financial reform of the statutory health insurance companies (GKV) warn opposition and social organizations against excessive concessions for private health insurance (PKV), pharmaceutical lobby and employers. Health economists also predict a rapid increase in additional contributions for insured persons in statutory health insurance.

Opposition and social organizations criticize unilateral health care reform
The Federal Minister of Health Philipp Rösler (FDP) is currently trying to calm associations and critics. But he can not hide that the planned health care reform is primarily a reform for the private health insurance and pharmaceutical industry and against the statutory health insurance. Because ultimately the benefits for the interest groups have to pay those who are insured in the GKV. At the hearing on Monday in the Bundestag, the minister tried to give the impression that the financial path of the statutory health insurance could still go in another direction. Because the criticism of social organizations and opposition parties is devastating. But whether this still works, is more than questionable, as already in early November, the GKV Financing Act and the drug reorganization Act (AMNOG) are finally adopted. Already on the first of January 2011, the health care reform is supposed to be implemented and valid.

PKV Association welcomes plans for health care reform
In contrast to the GKV associations and opposition, the private health service welcomes the planned reforms. Here one is particularly pleased to be able to tap the GKV more insured in the future. Because the three-year waiting period for switching from SHI to PKV should be repealed. „Thus, the legislator is giving a very important impetus to the freedom of choice of the insured and the system competition between GKV and PKV”, it says in the statement of the PKV for the hearing in the Bundestag. But you do not want to believe in a real change boom. But a rapid change of members is feared in the statutory health insurance. Due to the disappearance of numerous members, the GKV association is concerned about steadily growing contributions for the insured. The Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA) criticizes the „half-hearted saving attempts“ the government.

Cash patients stay at the expense
The social association Germany VDK sees in the health reform the attempt to the cash-patients „Cash Cow“ close. The chairman of the association, Adolf Bauer, again pleaded to launch a solidarity-based contribution financing. It could not be that the members of the treasury unilaterally burdened with ever higher additional contributions. Because the Minister of Health Rösler has anchored in the legislative changes that the additional contributions may be determined by the health insurance companies themselves in the future. This is a sign that the Federal Ministry of Health also expects contributions to increase in the future. At the same time the association chairman warns against introducing a reimbursement (prepayment model at the doctor). This will most likely mean that many people will be unable to pay for necessary health services and will therefore no longer be required. Bauer calls for higher incomes to be more heavily involved in financing statutory health insurance.

The left goes one step further. Martina Bunge from the DIE LINKE parliamentary group in the Bundestag speaks of the destruction of solidarity health insurance as a guarantor of comprehensive health care. In the future, employers will be exempted from parity in the increasing health insurance contributions. The private health insurance gets more and more high earners, while the GKV suffers from a lack of funds. The medical profession finally gets what they wanted: The advance payment to the doctor. The federal government strengthens the PKV with its reform, explains Thomas Ballast, chairman of the board of the Ersatzkassen. Ballast expects that from 2011 about 100,000 well-off GKV members will switch to private health insurance. Thus, the SHI system of solidary financing is weakened significantly. The system of private health insurance is far from stable and will be strengthened at the expense of the SHI.

Expert: Increase in additional contributions already in the coming year
The Cologne health economist Markus Lüngen predicted that in 2012 there will be additional contributions of just under four euros on average. „In the following years this is going very fast.“. According to his calculations in 15 years, the annual overspending of about two percent would entitle all 50 million insured persons to the social compensation provided for by law. The German Trade Union Confederation also speaks of a rapid increase in additional contributions. According to the DGB, the additional contributions are a per capita lump sum through the back door. For the year 2025, the DGB expects an additional capitation of 100 euros. (sb, 27.10.2010)

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Picture: Karin Jähne