False message about merger of the TK and KKH alliance

False report about merger of Techniker Krankenkasse and KKH-Allianz. A speaker of the TK denied plans, according to which both funds want to form a union.

04.02.2011

The wave of mergers among the statutory health insurance continues - said the „Leipziger Volkszeitung“ to have learned from well-informed circles. The boards of the Techniker Krankenkassen (TK) and the KKH alliance are planning the merger to the largest German health insurance fund and have already agreed on the merger, the newspaper reported. Apparently a hoax, as the TK and KKH alliance now announced.

Both the TK and the KKH alliance reported the report of the „Leipzig newspaper“ decided back on an alleged merger. At present, there are no negotiations on a merger, the TK told the „Hamburger Abendblatt“ and the KKH alliance added: „The newspaper report is based on misinformation and is fictitious“. TK currently insures around 7.6 million people; last year alone, it grew by around 339,000 new customers. The financial budget amounts to around 19 billion euros. Even without merger, TK announces that it will rule out an additional contribution at least for 2011. A spokesman said, "The report is wrong, there are no merger negotiations, and there have not been any negotiations for a merger in the past."

The largest health insurance company in Germany would have emerged
The „Leipziger Volkszeitung“ wrote that the supervisory bodies of the two statutory health insurance companies would be discussing a possible merger at their next meeting (in March). Allegedly, the board members of TK and KKH-Allianz have already agreed on the merger. Accordingly, the merged funds would rise in the future with about 9.5 million policyholders to the largest statutory health insurance in Germany. „The claim that the Board of Directors should advise on its merger in its next meeting does not (however) apply“, as the KKH alliance emphasized. Also the statement of the „Leipziger Volkszeitung“, the Boards of both funds had already agreed on the merger, was wrong.

Cash mergers already expected by experts
So far, the Barmer GEK with 8.6 million insured in this country, the largest health insurance. In the case of the allegedly planned merger, the largest German health insurance fund would have emerged from TK with approximately 7.6 million policyholders and the KKH alliance with its 1.86 million members. That the „Leipziger Volkszeitung“ Among other things, it may well be based on the fact that experts have already predicted a far-reaching wave of mergers in the field of statutory health insurance after the health care reform in 2007, possibly a little over-sensitized to possible cash mergers. Although the partially prophesied brand of only 50 statutory health insurance has not yet been reached, but has since reduced the number of health insurance companies - from more than 230 to more than 160. Here are always synonymous synergy effects and the avoidance of additional contributions as essential justifications for Called mergers. However, critics watch the current wave of mergers of the health insurance with concern. Because in the insolvency of a health insurance, the other statutory health insurance to absorb this and take over the insured, which is the entire health system burdened. If one of the giant health insurance companies went bankrupt, it would hardly be possible for the other insurance companies to absorb this and it threatened the collapse of the health system, warned experts like Rolf Stuppardt of the Federation of the guilds already last year.

Cash registers merge to avoid bankruptcies
Previously, there was always the possibility of the health insurance companies in case of lack of funding to file for bankruptcy at the Federal Insurance Office. But given the size that some health insurance companies have achieved in the course of the wave of mergers, such a procedure would be excluded, said Rolf Stuppardt last year. The expert reported in mid-2010, he even assume that the mergers in total „Little to do with health economic goals“ but primarily serve the goal of achieving a systemically important size, so that in the case of a possible bankruptcy a rescue by the state side is required. Similar to the banking crisis, the motto applies „too big to die“. Because health insurance with several million members can not simply go bankrupt because the other health insurance would not be able to absorb this and people would stand there without health insurance. The risk of bankruptcy is in the opinion of the expert in particular when two health insurance companies merge, which are basically both bankrupt and do not get along with the funds from the health fund. (Fp)

Also read:
Health Insurance Mergers increase costs
Health system: wave of mergers of health insurance companies
Health insurance companies do not expect a deficit for 2011

Picture: Logo of Techniker Krankenkasse, press picture.