Health insurance High contributions and hardly benefits

Survey: Statutory health insurance companies warn against increasing contributions

31/01/2015

Again, the statutory health insurance in Germany have warned against increasing contributions. According to a survey, three-quarters of the funds expect that the additional contribution will rise above 0.9 percent. In addition, the services offered by insurers will decline.

Rising expenses and melting reserves
The statutory health insurance funds in Germany have again warned against rising contributions in view of rising expenditure and melting reserves. A Friday morning published poll of the news magazine „Focus“ Among all 124 health insurance companies, three-quarters of cash-desk executives expect that the current additional contribution of about 0.9 percentage points will increase. In addition, 61 percent believe that the range of services offered by health insurances will decline in return.

Increasing additional contributions
Since the beginning of the year, a general contribution rate of 14.6 percent applies. However, the health insurances can also collect individual additional contributions, which are currently usually around 0.9 percent. But there are also funds whose additional contributions are significantly lower. As reported by the news agency AFP, the Central Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV) has long been expecting insured persons to pay higher contributions in 2016 than at the beginning of this year. Accordingly, the additional contributions in the coming year could rise on average over one percent due to rising expenditure.

Relief only for a short time
The small relief that has benefited some 20 million members since the turn of the year will probably be short-lived. The news magazine „The mirror“ had reported at the beginning of the month by what percentage points the insurance premiums may increase in the future. According to calculations by the health economist Jürgen Wasem of the University of Düsseldorf, the additional contributions could climb from just 0.9% to 1.15% of the gross salary. And in 2017, they should even rise to 1.4 percent. (Ad)

Picture: Tim Reckmann