Health insurance additional contribution animated to change

The health insurance companies with additional contributions, the insured run away. Many members of the board made use of their special right of termination.

26/01/2011

Last year was a major setback for some public health insurance companies. Due to an uncertain financial situation, some health insurance companies demanded an additional contribution from their insured persons. Above all, the German employee health insurance DAK and the KKH alliance. Both health insurances since 2010 charge a lump sum of eight euros per month and contributors. Since the introduction of the additional contribution, the DAK had to personally experience the willingness of the insured to switch. Around 460000 members made use of their right of termination and changed the cash register. The KKH Alliance does not look any better either. The fund has lost around 190000 insured since its introduction. A spokesman for the KKH alliance told the Volkszeitung in Leipzig: „A large part of the terminations is due to the special right of termination after the introduction of the additional contribution.“ Thus, the cashier confirmed the cause and effect of the additional contributions.

Benefit from the health insurance change funds that require no additional contribution. Barmer GEK registered a membership increase of around 100,000 insured persons in the same period of the year. Almost 400,000 people changed into the Techniker Krankenkasse. In total, more than 600,000 people have turned their backs on their health insurance because of additional contributions and have joined another health insurance.

In the course of the healthcare reform, the legislator has created new possibilities for the health insurance companies to determine the amount of the additional contributions themselves from 2011 onwards. The health insurances can react faster to their internal economic situation. As the evaluation shows, additional contributions can further worsen the situation dramatically. After all, those who are liable to pay change the cash register to save on expenses. As long as no nationwide lump sums are levied by all statutory health insurance, the supplementary health insurance funds run away from the insured. Because in addition to the special right of termination, which applies only immediately after collection of additional contributions, there is also the possibility of a regular termination for the insured. So it can be assumed that the alternating wave will continue. Currently 13 health insurance companies require an average additional contribution of 8 euros.

Hartz IV losses burden the cash registers
Last year, recipients of Hartz IV benefits also had to pay the additional contribution. A takeover of the costs negated mainly job centers and social courts. Beneficiaries of the basic security had to contest the additional contribution from the regular benefits. About 60 percent of those affected are said to have denied payment, according to cashier representatives. The cash registers did not use any subsequent collection procedures, since the administrative costs would be disproportionately higher in relation to the costs. Another annoyance is the fact that in the promised social compensation for low income group does not apply. Since only a minority of the health insurances demands additional contributions, the measured average value for compensation is zero euros. If a health insurance company changes its statutes, ALG II beneficiaries must pay the additional contribution despite the exemption. About half of all funds with additional contributions have announced that they will make a corresponding amendment to the statutes. (Sb)

Also read:
From 2011: Higher health costs
DAK also demands an additional contribution in 2011
The health insurance change or stay?

Picture: Gerd Altmann, pixelio.de