Merger of Barmer GEK and Deutsche BKK Additional Contributions?

The self-governing bodies of the GEK and the German BKK today unanimously decided in separate meetings to instruct the management board members to prepare for a merger. The association is to be decided on 10 November in Berlin by the boards of both health insurance companies. The new health insurance company can therefore start work on 1 January 2017.

For days is talked about appropriate negotiations. The board members have now instructed the treasurers to prepare the merger. The merger is scheduled for 10.11. be decided in Berlin by the self-governing bodies of both health insurance companies. "By January 1, 2007, the new cash register to start their work," it said.

Association of health insurance companies. Image: Zerbor - fotolia

Since the health insurance reform, the competition between the statutory health insurance funds should be expressly promoted, as this should enable savings in the entire health system. The fact that the increased competitive conditions agreed with the health care reform would lead to a consolidation in the health insurance sector, experts predicted immediately after the adoption of the decisions. The number of statutory health insurance companies will reduce from over 150 to under 50, according to the forecast of the industry experts. Since the other statutory insurances after the insolvency of another health insurance companies are obliged to take the insured in their ranks, resulting from the increased competitive pressure for the customers of health insurance no problem, according to the assessment of the Federal Government.

The affected cash registers speak of service optimization for the insured and corporate customers. The new health insurance fund should have the "densest branch network in health insurance". Both funds are currently making an additional contribution of 0.9 percent of the income of the members. This is charged in addition to the regular contributions.

Increase in additional contributions expected
Some media report on the tight financial situation of the German BKK. This is called as a reason for the merger. It is likely that the fund will have to raise the additional contribution once again. This leads to switching waves of the insured. According to forecasts, the additional contribution should be raised from 0.9 to 1.1 percent. "Of course, we will keep the additional contributions that determine the cash, (...) continue to keep in mind," said Federal Health Minister Hermann Gröhe (CDU) of the Oldenburg "Nordwest-Zeitung" (Friday).

Renowned experts such as Rolf Stuppardt of the Federal Association of the guilds assume that the current mergers have "little to do with health economic goals" have, but primarily the goal of achieving a systemically important size, in case of a possible bankruptcy to force a state intervention. Similar to the banking crisis, it would be in the opinion of Rolf Stuppardt from the state side impossible to handle the newly created giant health insurance with their millions insured in a bankruptcy proceedings, so that in the event of impending bankruptcy, the state is forced to rescue the affected health insurance. (Sb)