Statutory health insurance insured collect about 4.5 billion euros in debt

Unpaid contributions: Insureds owe cash 4.48 billion euros
The insured in Germany owe the statutory health insurance more and more money. According to a report, the contribution debts now amount to almost 4.5 billion euros. The coffers are demanding from the state to help those who can not pay their own contributions.

Insureds owe more and more money to the coffers
Insured persons owe more and more money to the statutory health insurance companies in Germany. According to a report of the "Rheinische Post" (RP), the contribution debts last added up to 4.48 billion euros - that is a good 1.2 billion euros more than at the beginning of 2015. This is clear from an overview of the association of health insurances. According to the information, the debt in 2011 would have amounted to just over one billion euros. "The health insurance to remain guilty only the so-called self-payers who are not permanently employed," writes the newspaper.

Insured persons owe almost € 4.5 billion to the statutory health insurance in Germany. The coffers call on the state to help those who can not pay their own contributions. (Image: Karola Warsinsky / fotolia.com)

Causes for the contribution arrears are manifold
"In the case of dependent employees, the employer transfers his share and the employee's share in the health insurance funds," it continues. Often it is therefore solo self-employed with small incomes or people who have fallen through the social network and are not insured over Hartz IV reference, the contributions to the tills remain guilty. It also happens that people move abroad and do not unsubscribe from their cash register. According to the GKV-Spitzenverband, the causes for the arrears of contributions are manifold. These include consumer insolvencies, financial instability among self-employed employees who are voluntarily insured, or insolvency with a largely lack of income.

State should help with tax money
The chances for the funds to get the outstanding money are often low. The GKV paper states: "For members who are unable to make the necessary living, including health insurance costs, using their own resources and resources, the instruments for enforcing the claim are largely ineffective." Spitzenverband therefore demanded that the state should help those with tax money who can not pay the contributions. "If there is a state compulsory insurance, it would also need a state funding of the contribution defaults at the coffers," said the spokesman for the GKV top association, Florian Lanz, on Saturday to the news agency dpa.

Health insurance companies receive billions from the health fund
A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Health said to the "Rheinische Post", one observes the development of the arrears of arrears "attentively". He emphasized: "The associated cost consequences and their consequences for the solidarity community of the SHI must always be assessed and taken into account very precisely." The problem of defaulting payers is not new. Years ago, therefore, a "law on the elimination of social overburdening of contribution debts in health insurance" was issued. In 2014, there was a debt relief for thousands of insured. In total, the legally insured at that time debts of 1.1 billion euros were issued. Maybe this would be a possibility even now. Especially against the backdrop of the billions in funding from the health fund, which wants to pass the government to the coffers. (Ad)