Health insurance GBK now broke?

The Cologne Joint Health Insurance Fund (GBK) reported a risk of bankruptcy.

(15.06.2010) The events seem to be overflowing at the moment. According to media reports, the third public health insurance now seems to be close to bankruptcy. In addition to the health insurance companies "City BKK" and "BKK Heilberufe", the GBK now seems to be on the brink of insolvency. A corresponding message to the Federal Insurance Office was confirmed by the GBK.

According to media reports, a third health insurance now seems to be on the verge of insolvency. The joint health insurance fund Cologne (GBK) has reported as a third fund apparently an impending bankruptcy. However, GBK board member Helmut Wasserfuhr objects to news after the GBK is insolvent. Wasserfuhr said, "the GBK's liquidity plan proves that the health insurance company is solvent at all times".

According to the business paper "Financial Times Deutschland", the GBK reported a threatening insolvency to the Federal Insurance Office last week. According to the legislator, health insurance companies have to report a threat of insolvency, otherwise a procedure is threatened because of "insolvency transfer". Compared to the newspaper, the BKK Bundesverband has confirmed such a message to the Federal Insurance Office. Thus, three statutory health insurance companies, the City BKK, BKK health professionals and now the GBK are threatened with closure. At the City BKK there are signs that the box office will close on the first of September.

The GBK board member Helmut Wasserfuhr also confirmed a report to the Federal Insurance Office. However, the board emphasized that they were "always solvent". Negotiations are currently underway for a possible merger with other company health insurance funds. Corresponding results do not give it yet, since the discussions would be only at the beginning.

The GBK is a fairly small health insurance. Accordingly, just 33,000 people are insured at the cash register. If the fund is closed, other health insurance companies must take over the members. The other health insurance companies have to do this even if the insured are very expensive treatments or are of advanced age. The statutory health insurance is compulsory insurance, this also applies to the health insurance.

In the case of a closure, the other company health insurance funds have to assume the liabilities of the closed-end fund. This could be a major problem in a large number of closures of BKK health insurance, so that more funds are in great financial difficulties and also have to report a bankruptcy. Next Thursday, a crisis meeting of the company funds should take place, there will be discussed how the financial problems could be solved. However, a decision will only be made in August. "It must fall decisions that are superimposed by the shadow of an underfunded health fund and the previously uncertain financing of statutory health insurance in the next year," argued the CEO of the BKK Bundesverband, Heinz Kaltenbach. (Sb)

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