Coalition wants premium distribution of the coffers

Federal government wants to force premium distribution of the health insurance companies

02/05/2012

The discussion about a possible premium distribution by the statutory health insurance companies to their members does not stop. While the coffers are steadily refusing to pay out money, the black-yellow coalition is considering how they can still enforce the premium distribution.

"Surplus of the funds is money of the insured"
The black-yellow coalition is determined to enforce the distribution of premiums by the statutory health insurance companies to its members. „It is right to put the health insurance companies under greater pressure. Surpluses should finally be returned as premiums to the insured, "said Jens Spahn, health spokesman for the CDU, on Wednesday in Berlin. Federal Health Minister Daniel Bahr (FDP) had previously compared to the „Rheinische Post“ reports that many funds have very high reserves, but only a few would distribute them to their members. „We are now examining how we can put pressure on the health insurance companies to return their money, which they do not need to the insured, to their members, "says Bahr, who had asked the statutory health insurance companies to award premiums weeks ago Spahn also urgently stated that the surpluses were the money of the insured and the sick were not savings banks, as he said to the Reuters news agency: „Just as there are minimum reserves, one could also think about a defined maximum reserve amount for individual funds. "

Around 20 billion euros in healthcare reserves
The background to the discussion on the distribution of premiums is a surplus in the healthcare sector of around 20 billion euros, which was significantly higher than expected. The thick financial cushion lead experts back on the one hand on the good economic development and on the other to the savings laws passed in 2010. Meanwhile, the health fund has accumulated around nine billion euros. The remainder lies with the health insurance companies themselves. However, these steadily reject the demand for a premium distribution. According to their calculations, the health fund could slip into the red again next year.

The largest surplus of a single cash generated last year, the Techniker health insurance (TK) in the amount of 962 million euros. Norbert Klusen, head of the TK, said at the beginning of March against the „Frankfurter Allgemeine“, that due to the unpredictability of the health fund, he sees no opportunity for premium distributions. The policyholders of the TK would still benefit, as the health insurance fund had expanded its range of services.

Critics criticize, by the forced distribution the health insurance funds are to be reckoned again "poorly". Finally, the additional contributions were intended to create an "artificial competition" between the coffers. But because all health insurance companies were able to conclude with surpluses, no cash register must currently levy the additional contribution.

Practice fee should be abolished
If the money received by the statutory health insurance funds from the financial pool is insufficient, additional contributions must be levied.
Due to the high surplus in the health service, FDP and opposition demand the abolition of the practice fee. However, the CDU continues to argue for maintaining the 10 euros at the first doctor's visit in the quarter. The practice fee should be saved, according to the Union for bad times in the health fund. Federal Minister of Health Bahr explained that the statutory sicknesses are financially so well placed for the next three years that the practice fee can be waived without further ado. Loud „Tagesspiegel“ However, the expenditure of the funds increase again. Already in the first quarter, there had been an increase in medicines of 4.5 percent. (Ag)