Cash contributions for 20 million policyholders fall

Cash contributions for 20 million policyholders fall

08/05/2014

Many public health insurance companies have accumulated large financial reserves in recent years. The Federal Government believes that insured persons could profit from it in the future. For 20 million members of the statutory health insurance, the contribution rate could fall.

Additional contribution for 20 million insured could fall
The financial reserves of numerous statutory health insurance funds have increased in recent years. According to a newspaper report, the federal government expects that from 2015 for 20 million members of the statutory health insurance, the contribution rate could decline. As the „Rheinische Post“ wrote on Wednesday, this is apparent from the answer to a request from the left-wing fraction. The answer is: „The Federal Ministry of Health is currently assuming that about 20 million members are insured with health insurances, which could get by in 2015 with an additional contribution below 0.9 percent.“

Very good financial position of the health insurance
At the end of 2013, of the 133 health insurance companies, 67 had financial reserves of more than 150 per cent of monthly expenditure, 62 funds were between 25 and 100 per cent of monthly expenditure and only 4 funds were below the statutory minimum reserve of 25 per cent. The financial position is very good. According to the Federal Government, the total asset income of the coffers totaled 456 million euros last year, the newspaper reported. „The Left demands that high income and investment income be used to finance health insurance“, Harald Weinberg, health spokesman for the group, told the newspaper. But the black-red coalition wants to pay only the insured without the involvement of employers, the future additional health costs, so his criticism.

As of 2016, increasing rates are expected
The funds should be able to determine the amount of their contribution rate from 2015 again. Currently, the statutory general contribution rate of 15.5 percent applies, of which 7.3 percent are borne by employers and 8.2 percent - ie 7.3 percent plus 0.9 percent - by the employees. But from the first of January 2015, the funds can individually decide whether to maintain, reduce or increase the 0.9 percent as an additional contribution. Forecasts of the financial development in the statutory health insurance (GKV) are still uncertain, since the GKV circle of estimates can only determine the average additional contribution rate for the coming year in October of this year. Health economists and other experts expect starting in 2016 with rising rates. Already in March, when the bill to finance health insurance was approved by the black-red cabinet, it hailed criticism from opposition parties, trade unions and social organizations. It was criticized, among other things, that the insured have to bear the rising costs in the health system alone. (Sb)

Picture: GG-Berlin