Health insurance with billions in surplus

Statutory health insurance with billions in surplus

19/06/2011

While the coverage of the past few weeks has been dominated by the bankruptcy of City BKK, rumors of further mergers and possible cash-draws, the public health insurance companies seem to be doing relatively well overall. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, the health insurance funds currently show a surplus of 1.47 billion euros for the first quarter of 2011. According to official figures, a significant proportion of this is due to the significantly reduced expenditure on pharmaceuticals.

Rising economy and declining pharmaceutical spending
Currently, the statutory health insurance, according to the Federal Ministry of Health report a massive surplus. The statutory health insurance companies were able to accumulate a total of 1.47 billion euros in the first quarter of 2011, a major success of the drug savings package passed in the context of the health reform last year, according to the statement by the German government. In fact, drug expenditures were reduced by around 4.8% or EUR 360 million. But the lion's share of the improved financial situation of the statutory health insurance companies is supported by the improving economic trend, which brings the health insurance companies considerably higher premium income. With € 45.85 billion in revenue, the health insurance companies took in the first quarter of 2011, about 2.35 billion euros more than in 2010. At the same time, not only the expenditure on medicines have fallen, but the increase in spending has also been evident in other areas slowed down. For example, the increase in expenditure on outpatient medical services in the first quarter of the year was only 1.2 percent, offset by a significant increase in revenue.

Health insurance companies book a surplus of 1.5 billion
According to the Federal Ministry of Health is the current financial situation „significantly better“ than in the first quarter of 2010. Although the statutory health insurance last year, for the time being, recorded a surplus of 235 million euros, but this had turned into a huge deficit by the end of the year. Health expenditure is generally lower at the beginning of the year, but tends to increase significantly during the year. In all likelihood, the current surplus will not be maintained at the current level, but a deficit is not to be feared at the end of the year, reports the Federal Ministry of Health. The health insurance companies, however, have a very different share of the previous surplus. Depending on the market shares, the plus at checkout also turns out to be very different. Thus, for example, the AOKen recorded a surplus of 627 million, the Ersatzkassen closed with 518 million euros surplus, the guild funds with 121 million and the company health insurance funds with 113 million euros. All health insurances were able to record a considerable reduction in the cost of medicines, even if they differed in different amounts. In other areas of performance, such as early detection or sickness benefits, the insurance companies had to accept further increases in spending, but were able to absorb them through the additional revenue.

Different financial situation of the health insurance companies
Contrary to the warnings of the Federal Insurance Office and the GKV-Spitzenverbandes against possible insolvencies of other health insurance funds, the financial situation of the statutory health insurance is currently much better than expected. But not all health insurance companies can benefit equally from the development. The Federal Insurance Office also sees itself forced to intervene when the financial reserves of health insurance no longer meet the prescribed minimum. The early warning system has been significantly tightened since 2008, with the result that the authorities are already intervening in situations that used to occur regularly, health economist Jürgen Wasem said. Today, the statutory health insurance is already reminded when their reserves are less than a quarter of their average monthly expenditure. However, this temporary looting of the reserves would rather be accepted by the coffers than the alternative of levying additional contributions. But although individual health insurance companies have considerable financial problems, the public health insurance funds are on the whole much better than in previous years. The Health Fund is projected to have a surplus of € 6.9 billion by the end of the year, which is around € 1.9 billion more than required by law. On this basis, contribution reductions may also be possible, but the Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr (FDP) rejected such demands. The currently established „small buffer“ is not enough for sustained reductions in contributions and should therefore remain in reserve in the health fund for the time being. (Fp)

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Picture: Uschi Dreiucker