Health insurance companies report billions in surplus

The statutory health insurance companies register a billion-surplus

05/09/2011

The statutory health insurance (SHI) generated a clear surplus in the first half of 2011. As the Federal Ministry of Health announced, the health insurance companies recorded a surplus of 2.41 billion euros due to the good economic development and the savings in drug costs.

2.4 billion euros surplus in the statutory health insurance
Already after the release of the figures for the first quarter of 2011, there was a billions surplus in the statutory health insurance. Now, this tendency has also been confirmed in the half-year figures. The surplus of 1.47 billion from the first quarter has increased by another 950 million euros, so that a total of more than 2.41 billion euros in the first half of 2011, said the Federal Ministry of Health in Berlin. Compared to the first half of 2010 (112 million euros), the surplus therefore more than twentyfold. Above all, the Federal Ministry of Health mentions the significant increase in premium income as a result of the improving economy as the cause of this positive development. But also in the context of the health care reform implemented deductions in drug prices show, according to Federal Health Minister Daniel Bahr (FDP) its effect.

According to the latest figures, the statutory health insurance funds had a total revenue of 91.7 billion euros in the first half of 2011, with expenditure amounting to 89.3 billion euros. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, a large part of the surplus was accounted for by the two major health insurance funds of the AOK (971 million euros) and the alternative health insurance funds (954 million euros). The company health insurance funds were clearly in the plus with 221 million euros, as well as the guild health insurance (156 million euros) and the Knappschaft-Bahn-See (98 million euros). By the end of the year, according to the Federal Minister of Health with a surplus in the statutory health insurance to the amount of 2.5 billion euros to be expected, in the health fund as a whole, the circle of statutory health insurance companies is expected to increase by just under seven billion euros.

Good economy and reduced drug costs
The Federal Minister of Health, on the one hand, cites the improved revenue situation in the course of the relatively good economic development as a reason for the positive development in the statutory health insurance funds. On the other hand, the reduction in expenditure, such as the price reductions of 16 percent in the course of the health care reform at the end of last year, also contributed significantly to the billions surplus that can now be seen. Expenditure on pharmaceuticals fell by 6.3 percent in the first half of 2011. But in other areas, the health insurance companies continue to struggle with rising costs. Expenditure on outpatient medical treatment increased by 2.3 percent, hospital treatment by 4.6 percent and early detection measures by 5.2 percent. The expenses for sickness benefits have again increased by 9.6 percent compared with the first half of 2010. Overall, however, the statutory health insurance funds are significantly better there than a year before. Although the health insurance funds were able to record a surplus between January and June in 2010, this only amounted to 112 million euros and turned into a deficit of around 445 million euros by the end of the year.

Good prospects for the GKV?
This year, too, the surplus of the first six months of the second half of the year could be significantly reduced, since spending in the first half of the year is generally lower than in the second, the Federal Ministry of Health said. Thus, the health insurance companies had spent around 1.5 billion euros more from July to December 2010 than in the first half of 2010. Overall, however, the chances are good that the statutory health insurance will conclude this year with a significant increase. After the excitement that had set in the industry in the wake of the City BKK bankruptcy and other impending health insurance bankruptcies, the current figures provide some reassurance on the part of the insured. Since in the health fund, from which the health insurance funds receive their funds, also a surplus 460 million euros and this is expected to increase in the second half of the year, are the prospects of the statutory health insurance for 2012, according to industry experts such as the AOK spokesman Udo Barske, quite positive.

Seven billion euros surplus in the health fund
Overall, the health fund will have reserves of almost seven billion euros by the end of the year, according to the circle of statutory health insurers. Although the bulk of this funding is already planned, as three billion are needed for the statutory minimum reserve and two billion euros for the social compensation in the years 2012 to 2014 are provided. But theoretically, free funds of two billion euros remained, which would be available, for example, for reductions in the contribution rate. The Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr (FDP) rejects a reduction of the current contribution rate of statutory health insurance of 15.5 percent, however, and argued for the currently established „small buffer“ initially as a reserve in the health fund to leave. The Federal Insurance Office also opposed the use of the surplus to reduce the contribution rate. (Fp)

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