Health insurance scared of sick pay

Sick pay: experts criticize austerity program of health insurance

05/18/2014

According to experts, public health insurance companies try again and again to save on sickness benefits and insured sick leave to work. Experts criticize the austerity program of the coffers. The Federal Minister of Health is asked to investigate the problems.

Insured persons insured are forced to work
According to the experts, statutory health insurance companies try again and again to save on sickness benefit and to urge sick people to work. „Particularly often the topic appears in our consultation in the context of mental illnesses“, said the managing director of the independent patient consultation Germany (UPD), Sebastian Schmidt Kaehler, opposite the news agency dpa in Berlin. Patient Counseling had alerted thousands of such cases last summer. Schmidt-Kaehler explained that the problem has not diminished since then in UPD's consulting practice: „Complaints about sick pay have not diminished.“ He further explained: „This is one of the most difficult issues for counseling, because it is very anxious and because it is often about the economic existence of the insured.“

Many funds fear from 2015 member emigration
Bertram Raum, Head of Health Services at the Federal Data Protection Commissioner, told dpa: „We know corresponding complaints from many submissions.“ In addition, funds tried insured to move to rehab services at the expense of the pension fund. „Some funds ask the insured person by phone once or twice a week“, so space. „Most health insurance companies also send extensive self-declaration forms to insured persons, who give the impression that the payment of sickness benefits depends on the extensive information.“ According to the Greens, the planned reform of health insurance finances threatens to exacerbate restrictive behavior even more. Next Wednesday, the reform plans in the Bundestag are the subject of a public hearing. The Green Party spokeswoman for health, Maria Klein-Schmeink, warned that many health insurers fear that as of 2015, members will move if the contribution rate increases.

Supplementary contributions could be kept small by savings in sick pay
According to the plans of the black-red coalition, the health insurances should be able to take additional income-related additional contributions from their members from next year. Although some funds will for the time being forego these additional contributions or keep them small due to high financial reserves according to experts, health economists are nevertheless expecting a medium- and long-term increase. According to Klein-Schmeink threatened at the box office then again widespread savings, even with sick pay to keep these additional contributions as low as possible.

Savings course at the expense of the insured
„The competition between the health insurances will increase again due to the current legislative plans“, so health data protection room. „Insurance companies will therefore have to think about where to save.“ A austerity program at the expense of insured persons is, according to Klein-Schmeink unacceptable: „The task of the health insurance companies is to support their insured in difficult times.“ Data protection room was also pointed to the dubious handling of some funds with sensitive patient data. According to this, insurance companies can initiate appraisals by the medical service of the health insurances in order to be able to judge whether the benefit receipt is justified. Information from the attending physician can then be obtained.

Federal Health Minister should pursue the problems
This information may not be viewed by the fund itself. However, this is exactly what happens in space: „We also know of cases in which health insurance companies open a letter from the attending physician to the health status of an insured person, although it may only be opened by the medical service.“ Federal Health Minister Hermann Gröhe (CDU) was asked by Klein-Schmeink to investigate the problems: „We want to know which rules on sickness benefit are the most effective way of preventing disincentives and encouraging health insurances to support their insured persons to the best of their knowledge and belief.“ The Federal Insurance Office and the state governments are required. (Ad)