FDP wants to strengthen private health insurance
FDP wants to strengthen the private health insurance. Is the solidarity principle at risk? The Federal Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (BPI) criticizes the planned expansion of compulsory discounts on private health insurance PKV.
(31.08.2010) The discussion about a restructuring of the statutory health insurance (GKV) in Germany is not leaving. While the strengthening of private health insurance (PKV) is a stated goal of the Federal Government, the statutory health insurance funds were mainly negatively affected by the measures taken so far. The ban on electoral tariffs in statutory insurance, the plans to simplify a change between GKV and PKV as well as the now loud and by the FDP massively supported demand to extend the statutory compulsory discounts on medicines on private health insurance´s, clearly have a strengthening of private funds result, but the statutory insurance usually pay at the end of the bill.
Solidarity principle in danger.
The statutory health insurance funds are barely able to cope with the increasing competitive pressure from the direction of private health insurance because they are suffering much more than the private ones as a result of demographic change. They can not select their customers by age, health, etc., to minimize costs. So for many, the question arises, why the federal government, the private health insurance´s, which assure only about 10 percent of the citizens of Germany, supported so massively while the GKV´s - in which the remaining 90 percent of the population are under - are dismantled so negligently. In particular, the claim to an economic or profit-oriented mode of operation of the insurance, can have long-term unpleasant consequences for the insured. While in the statutory insurance so far the principle of solidarity applies and financially weak patients, which cause high costs are carried by the healthy better earners, this is no longer guaranteed. Because the healthy, well-earning members change due to the planned changes more in the private health insurance and return in case of doubt in old age - with a variety of ailments - as a cost factor in the statutory insurance. This creates a steadily growing shortfall in the health care system, which is already estimated by experts to be around 11 billion euros for the coming year.
Health insurance additional contributions no solution.
Since the health fund does not provide sufficient funds to cover the costs, the GKV only has additional contributions as an additional source of funding. But additional contributions are a real thorn in the side of many insureds. They refuse to pay or change insurance directly. For example, the Bild newspaper reports that about ten percent of the 4.6 million members of the Deutsche Angestellten-Krankenkasse (DAK), about 30 percent of the members of BKK Gesundheit and the BKK Heilberufe, have not yet paid their additional contribution. Also, the possibility of refusing to pay a kind of fine of at least 30, - Euro helps the GKV here only a little.
Extension of the statutory compulsory discounts for medicines on PKV: „The clientele policy continues ".
With the extension of the statutory compulsory discounts for medicines to the private health insurance, one of the last competitive advantages of the GKV would now be lost. So the criticism of the chairman of the board of the Federal Association of the pharmaceutical industry e.V. (BPI), Dr. med. Bernd Wegener, quite justified even if the BPI is more likely to express it out of self-interest. "For years, the private health service has rightly opposed legislation to be aligned to the SHI, and now it mocks its own policies and demands - where it serves its own profits - exactly that“ - a legal equality, explained Dr. Wegener. „From because of market and competitiveness of private health insurance: the legislature is now to get what the private health insurance, profit-oriented - often listed stock companies - is not in a position. The principles of the alleged grail knights of the market in the health insurance go so fast over board ", continued the chairman of the board of the GDP further and emphasized that „just as well (...) a compulsory rebate on motor vehicles will be introduced“ could. In his view, the demand for statutory compulsory discounts is a clear indication that the cost-effectiveness of private health insurance, which has always been emphasized in the past, is no longer there. The fact that the FDP as a party to the market economy joined the demands of private health insurance Wegener especially. His conclusion: „the clientele policy continues. "(fp)
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Picture: Harry Hautumm