Health insurance expects increasing amounts

Barmer GEK: Kasse expects increasing contributions

27/12/2014

Barmer GEK assumes that health insurance premiums in Germany will increase significantly in the coming years. For the coming year, the contributions have been very cautious, said the chairman of the health insurance, Christoph Straub.

Estimated contributions for 2015 reluctantly
The Barmer GEK expects "a significant increase in health insurance contributions in Germany in the coming years". As the chairman of the health insurance, Christoph Straub, told the German Press Agency, the contributions for 2015 have been "very cautious". At the moment, the coffers also have a very good financial cushion. However, it is already clear that spending in the hospital sector or for pharmacists and pharmaceuticals will increase significantly in the short and medium term. According to the figures, the finances of the statutory health insurance (SHI) are developing significantly worse for the first time in several years.

Health insurance companies still have reserves
It is said that many funds still have their own reserves. In addition, according to the Federal Ministry of Health, the Health Fund at the end of 2014 still 16 billion euros. Against this backdrop, the insurers could allow themselves to be essentially within the previous 15.5 percent in the first year in which they can determine their own contribution for the first time. As of 1 January, the general rate of contribution to statutory health insurance will be reduced from the current level of 15.5% to 14.6%, with the former special contribution of 0.9 percentage points canceled by members. However, due to the GKV financial reform, each of the 131 funds can make an additional contribution, the amount of which they decide themselves. The insurers should thus cover their financial needs and also the competition among the coffers to be forced.

Additional contributions announced
In the past days and weeks, most of the funds have announced their future additional contributions. For many of them, these are 0.9 percent or slightly lower, but in others also significantly higher, so that sometimes a change of health insurance for financial reasons may be worthwhile. Even before the funds published the amount of their respective additional contributions, various experts have predicted an increase in contributions for the following years.

Cashier counts on increasing contribution rates
Now Straub told the dpa: „In general, it is expected that the additional contribution requirement will increase - possibly to 1.5 percentage points in the coming years.“ The chief executive expects an average statutory health insurance contribution rate of over 16 percent for 2016. In 2017, further increases are expected in principle. However, as this year, the Bundestag is newly elected, it is quite possible that the Federal Government seeks to prevent too strong increases, for example, with a savings law. (Ad)