Fair funding of health care costs

Social Union "People's Solidarity" for equitable financing of health care costs

"The massive introduction of additional contributions is an expression of a failed policy to shift health care costs unilaterally to the insured," said the Federal Director of the Social and Welfare Association, Voluntary Solidarity, Dr. med. Bernd Netherlands, on Friday to reports of impending additional contributions of health insurance. "The social imbalance must not be further strengthened, non-income head lump sums are the wrong way, and the privatization of health care costs must be countered by equitable financing based on the economic performance of the insured."

The Volkssolidarität warn against the social consequences of the additional contributions, so Netherlands. "For many, an additional contribution of eight euros may be acceptable, but large parts of the population did not benefit from the tax relief on 1 January 2010, because they have far too low incomes, who has to live on 700 or 800 euros per month, like many retirees,
Low earners and the unemployed, must save themselves these eight euros from the mouth. And even those who earn better, may now pay from the tax relief the additional contribution - true to the motto "left pocket right pocket". ??

"The solidarity of the people demanded the wrong way to leave, burdening the insured more and more one-sidedly, pointed out the Netherlands." For a fair financing of health costs, the people solidarity sets three priorities: First, employers must stay in the boat. That is why we want equal pay for wages. Employers must not be relieved of responsibility for future health care costs.

This also includes redistributing the special contribution of 0.9 percent, which is paid solely by the insured, to the parity of the total contribution. Secondly, the non-solidarity split between statutory and private health insurance must be overcome. It is an absurdity that especially in times of crisis, the recipients of higher incomes can escape the solidarity by switching to private health insurance. This only strengthens a two-class medicine. It is also necessary to include private health insurance in the risk structure compensation.

Thirdly, other types of income must be taken into greater consideration in addition to income from employment, in particular from property, renting and leasing. It is not about the interest income of savers for which you can provide for allowances, but to take greater account of high profits in the financing of health. The planned 2010 tax subsidy of just under € 16 billion is "peanuts" compared to the hundreds of billions of euros needed to support the banking system. (22.01.2010)