Health insurance companies are in the red

Cancellation of the practice fee and reduced tax subsidies: statutory health insurance cash cushion shrinks

20/06/2013

The statutory health insurance (SHI) is slipping into the red. In the first quarter, health insurance funds and health funds together achieved a deficit of almost one billion euros. The reason lies in the abolition of the practice fee and reduced tax subsidies.

Deficit of almost one billion euros
Increased expenditure and cuts in federal funds are responsible for a deficit in the first quarter in the statutory health insurance (SHI). Especially in the health fund, where the premium income and tax subsidies flow, a huge imbalance was observed. He took in the first three months, 1.77 billion euros less than he spent. And although, according to the Federal Ministry of Health, the approximately 130 health insurance companies in the period reached a surplus of about 850 million, the amount was about 660 million euros lower than in the same quarter last year. The numbers of health insurance and health funds result in a deficit of 915 million euros, almost a billion! The GKV had achieved in the same period last year, an increase of 462 million euros.

Billions of reserves
At 27.7 billion euros, the financial reserves of funds and funds are still at a high level. However, they are already 600 million euros lower than at the beginning of the year. Minister of Health Daniel Bahr (FDP) sees in the numbers, nevertheless, a reason to be pleased, because fortunately, continue the positive financial development. This especially with regard to the plus of health insurance companies. More than seven million insured persons would also benefit from premium payments with a total value of up to 700 million euros. At the beginning of the year, in view of the favorable financial situation, numerous health insurance companies announced that they would reimburse premiums to their insured persons. According to the FDP politician, the new figures would also show that the planned assistance to hospitals, emergency service pharmacies and improvements in the area of ​​prevention were financially viable.

Increased expenses
Factors contributing to the deficit include the fact that the federal government cut its 2013 health grant from 14 to 11.5 billion. And at the coffers, which get fixed monthly contributions from the fund, the revenues dropped due to the discontinuation of the practice fee. In addition, they had to spend considerably more money on central services. Their costs for outpatient medical treatment increased by 10.4 percent, for dental treatments by 8.4 percent, for hospitals by 2.3 percent and for sickness benefits by 7.6 percent. There was no significant change in drug expenditures with an increase of 0.1 percent. The Ministry of Health did not provide full-year forecasts, but it is expected that funds and funds will be able to balance expenditures on revenue. (Ad)