Health insurance in financial need

The financial hardship of the statutory health insurance is far greater than previously thought.

(21.06.2010) The statutory health insurance companies (GKV) are in far greater financial distress than previously assumed. Of the 157 health insurance funds, according to an internal investigation of the GKV financial controlling 23 are considered "at risk". Eight of the endangered GKV insurance companies announce that they will soon have to demand additional contributions from their members. Especially company health insurance funds (BKK) are affected.

The financial situation of the public health insurance is much worse than previously thought. In the past week it became known that already three health insurance companies reported a threatening insolvency with the Federal Insurance Office. Now more health insurance companies could follow, because according to an internal rating, 23 health insurances are in financial distress. Above all, the company health insurance funds (BKK) are affected; among those classified as at risk, there are 20 BKK health insurance funds alone. 46 further funds were classified with the predicate "observed". This means that even here could announce a financial disaster. Also there are 30 company health insurance funds. Only about 54 funds received the predicate "harmless" and another 34 health insurance companies got the rating "powerful". Which health insurance companies are affected, was not named in the evaluation. One probably does not want to incite the insured to change health insurance.

The rating of the health insurance funds was made by the financial controlling of the health insurance association (GKV). The rating includes the results of the last quarter of 2009. This included receivables and additional payments from the health fund. The GKV association was cautious about the results. The rating system is currently still in the "construction". Firstly, health insurances should be filtered out, where "possibly indications for a danger" are present. In a second step, they want to subject the health insurances to a "detailed evaluation".

Everything looks as if especially smaller health insurance funds can not withstand the financial pressure. Increased drug costs, expensive treatments and the general financial situation of the contributors, all of which has a negative effect on the small health insurance. While large health insurance companies can still react flexibly, small health insurance companies can hardly compensate for deficits. So also seen at the GBK Cologne, BKK for health professionals and City BKK. All three reported last week to the Federal Insurance Office threatened bankruptcy. Now another 69 funds are "observed" or even "endangered". Compared to the magazine "Focus", the Federal Insurance Office confirmed that a total of 19 health insurance companies are considered "reported", because they were spending more than revenue in the last quarter. If a health insurance company goes "broke", could continue to follow, because a so-called "domino effect" arises. Because the other health insurance companies must then take over the debts of the insolvent fund and then possibly even get themselves into financial hardship. (Sb)

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Is the health insurance City-BKK broke?