Is the health insurance DAK broke?

Is the statutory health insurance just before bankruptcy? The DAK dismissed all speculation as "absurd".

(08.06.2010) According to media reports, the German Employees Health Insurance (DAK) is reportedly on the brink of insolvency. According to the Financial Times Deutschland (FTD), the statutory health insurance DAK has an alleged deficit of 800 million euros by the year 2011. In this year alone, the fund alone lacked 200 million euros, according to the FTD. The newspaper relied on the information provided by competitors. Thus, the Techniker health insurance already "calculated" the consequences of an impending bankruptcy of the DAK, as it was said. In the event of an impending bankruptcy, other health insurance companies would have to accept the members. Since the beginning of the year, the DAK has demanded an additional contribution of eight euros from its approximately 4.8 million insured persons.

The DAK, however, shows all speculation about a financial imbalance. The alleged deficit of 800 million euros for the coming year "lack any realistic basis," said the DAK. "This is a transparent attempt by competitors to harm the DAK," added a spokesman for the health insurance company. According to the DAK, a surplus of around 31 million euros was generated in the first quarter of this year. This surplus can be directly related to the additional contributions levied. So was the decision to levy an additional contribution from the insured, "correct and responsible," said a DAK spokesman. However, the healthcare system is threatened with a deficit of 11 billion euros in the coming year, as allocations from the health fund are insufficient. The situation of the statutory health insurance can therefore be described as "tense". (Sb)