Health insurance In the future 100 Euro additional contribution?

Health insurance: According to calculations of the Institute of Health Economics at the University of Cologne, statutory health insurance soon pay around 100 € per month in additional contributions. Social equalization would affect almost all insured in the GKV.

According to information from the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) could come purely mathematically about 100 euros per month to additional contributions to the statutory health insurance. The union relies on an opinion of the Institute for Health Economics at the University of Cologne.

A gloomy prognosis was made by the scientists of the University of Cologne. Since the share of employees in statutory health insurance premiums has been frozen, insured persons will in future have to shoulder the rising costs of the healthcare system themselves. The scientists calculated the possible additional contributions of the statutory health insurance companies on the basis of two scenarios. If the annual expenditures of the health insurance companies increase by only two per cent more than the revenue, then according to calculations the monthly additional contribution in the year 2025 could already amount to 97 euro monthly. That would be an additional lump sum of 1164 euros per year, which would have to pay the insured to the regular health insurance contributions. Every worker with an average income of up to € 4,827 would then be entitled to social security, as it was called. According to the Federation of Trade Unions, almost all insured members of the statutory health insurance companies. The social equalization calculations include only contributory and not actual income. This means that all further cost increases in the health system must be borne by the state budget.

The DGB criticized this development sharply. In the view of the trade unionists, this is one „Redistribution policy in favor of employers, "criticized deputy DGB chairman Annelie Buntenbach, said around 90 percent of citizens are affected by the plans." Low earners and pensioners are highly dependent on government transfer payments, "continued Buntenbach.

But it can even get worse. Because the first scenario goes from one „moderate“ Development. However, if the annual costs of the funds increase by four percent, the additional monthly contributions of around € 100 will come into effect in 2020. This means that the GKV insured must already pay in five years, 46 euros per month (552 euros per year) on a flat rate and regular additional for health insurance. Anyone who earns up to 2286 euros would already have a right to social security. "The de facto nationalization of the growth is thus in the tangible future", so the study authors.

16 statutory health insurance currently charge an additional contribution of eight euros per month. According to the plans of the Federal Government, the health insurance funds should be able to determine the amount of the additional contributions themselves. At the same time, the employers' share of health insurance is frozen, so that future increases in contributions must be borne solely by the employees. This means that any further increase in contributions must be borne by the insured person. Head of the institute is the SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach. With the results of the study, a concrete calculation was presented for the first time, which points to the dangers of the capitation fee for the insured and state budget. (sb, 10/10/2010)

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