Merger between DAK and BKK Health failed

The merger of DAK and BKK Gesundheit has surprisingly failed.

(23.07.2010) Actually, the DAK and the BKK health wanted to merge until the first of October 2010 and form a joint health insurance. But the merger has been blown off surprisingly. Nevertheless, experts see another "wave of mergers" of the statutory health insurance companies in order to better respond to financial burdens in the health service.

Surprisingly came the end for the merger of the DAK and BKK health. Because even the future name was already fixed, so should the common health insurance "DAK health" hot. Both funds wanted to form the first October of this year a health insurance under one roof. But the plans are off the table, the talks have apparently failed. "In the end, we found it does not fit," said a spokesman for the German employee health insurance (DAK). Currently, they have decided to each remain an independent health insurance, so the BKK health. However, the plans would not be completely sealed, because they want to hold open a merger for the future.

Reasons for the failure of the merger negotiations.
But where are the reasons? The BKK Health said that "internal committees" recommended to the Board to maintain the autonomy of "BKK Gesundheit" at the moment. Even though BKK Health currently has only 880,000 members. At the beginning of 2009, 1.5 million were still insured with BKK Gesundheit. In addition to other reasons, many members had certainly left the cash register, because this raises additional contributions from their insured since the beginning of the year. Such a membership size is currently considered risky, because it can no longer respond so flexibly to financial bottlenecks.

More and more health insurance companies want a merger.
According to surveys, every second health insurance company is currently considering a merger. But a merger is not always easy. Not every health insurance company suits the other. Especially for the health insurance companies are small and financially weak, it should be difficult to find a suitable partner. Closure of health insurance companies can not be ruled out for the future. For the health insurance companies Cologne, the City BKK and the BKK for health professionals have already reported to the Federal Insurance Office an impending bankruptcy. Other funds are also considered extremely financially damaged.

From the mergers, the health insurance expect more efficiency and more influence in the market and thus a much better position compared to the pharmaceutical industry, doctors, clinics and pharmacies. Because it is planned that in the future each health insurance company should negotiate even more contracts with the individual providers. The bigger a health insurance company is, the better contracts can be concluded. (Sb)

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