Health insurance funds should check sick leave

Health Minister Bahr: Health insurance companies have to closely examine sick leave

01/09/2013

The statutory health insurance companies had tried more in the past year to send sick people back to work. Minister of Health Bahr wants to make this the cash register heavier in the future. Health insurance companies are also criticized for saving money.

Health Minister criticized health insurance companies
Federal Health Minister Daniel Bahr (FDP) wants to make it difficult for the statutory health insurance in the future to send sick people back to work. „Of course, the cash registers must check whether there is really a disease behind a sick leave“, so Bahr opposite the „world“ (Monday). „If sick leave is rejected flat-rate, in bulk and only after reviewing the files, then that's not alright.“ The Minister was in favor of making in-depth investigations into doubt when in doubt. „Each individual case must be appreciated.“

1.5 million cases checked
The statutory health insurance funds had in the past year, the medical service of the health insurance funds (MDK) nationwide asked in about 1.5 million cases, a medically check the inability to work determined by a doctor. In more than 234,000 cases, the evaluators judged that, from a medical point of view, there was no reason to continue their incapacity for work and therefore that they could be terminated within two weeks. Overall, while the number of sick leave examinations reviewed by the MDK fell slightly from 1.54 million cases in the previous year to 1.47 million, the decision to suspend a certificate eventually ends in cash. According to top association of the statutory health insurance (GKV) lacked data.

Health care is saved
According to a report by the news magazine Spiegel, the statutory health insurance funds are massively saving on health care costs for their insured. The magazine announced in advance that the health insurance funds cut spending on anti-stress measures and health promotion by about 30 percent between 2008 and 2012. Calculated on the insured, this average € 3.41 a year. Thus, the value is only just above the legal benchmark of 2.94 euros. Mainly so-called individual measures, so courses such as spinal gymnastics or burnout prevention, affected by the cuts. According to the prevention law planned by the federal government, the funds should actually spend more money to prevent illnesses.

More privately insured dissatisfied
More and more private patients are suffering from changed insurance conditions. According to one study, increasing contributions to private health insurance make themselves felt. Der Spiegel reports that it is in a study of the Scientific Institute of the AOK (WidO) states that the premiums „has risen sharply for years due to high expenditure growth“ be and thus „meanwhile, one in four privately insured retirees would regret his decision, according to the report that more and more people are switching to cheaper, higher-risk fares to save money.

Picture: Matthias Preisinger