Several health insurance plans reduce contributions

04/07/2014

From next year, millions of insured can look forward to lower health insurance contributions. According to a media report, seven health insurance companies plan to lower their rates from 2015 onwards. In the long term, however, it could generally become more expensive for insured persons.

Seven health insurance companies are planning to reduce contribution rates
From the coming year, health insurance companies in Germany can determine their contribution rate themselves. As a result, millions of insured will benefit, thanks to the cash surpluses, for the time being. Like a survey of the appearing in Dusseldorf „Rheinische Post“ (Monday issue) at the coffers revealed, seven health insurance plans expected to lower their contribution rate in 2015. In addition to Germany's largest health insurance company, the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) with 8.8 million insured persons, the Big direct, the HKK, the Knappschaft and three funds from the BKK-Verband (BKK Firmus, BKK VDN, BKK VBU) also set a contribution rate reduction view.

Cash registers can set their own contribution in the future
The remaining funds would have wanted to give any information as to whether the start of the financial reform for the statutory health insurance on January 1, a contribution change. The hitherto valid uniform contribution rate of 15.5 percent, which was set by the government, will cease to exist from next year. In the system that still exists, employer and employee each share 7.3 percent, and the latter have to add another 0.9 percent of their income to denture insurance. From next year, the health insurances can determine the amount of the contribution, which is financed solely by the employees.

There are currently billions in surpluses
Although some funds will lower their contributions, many see the danger that this will happen only temporarily. Thanks to the good economic situation, most health insurances currently have big financial cushions. Thus, the reserves in the coffers themselves at around 13 billion euros and the health fund have surpluses of 16 billion euros. But the reserves will not last forever. The Munich health economist Günter Neubauer said to the „Rheinische Post“: „As of 1 January 2015, many health insurances will still have surpluses that they can freely dispose of.“ and further: „Some will use this to compete with a lower contribution rate than today.“

Health economist expects contribution rate increase
From various sides there is much criticism for the black and red box office reform. This would increase the burden on the statutory health insurance in the medium term. On the part of the opposition parties and the trade unions it was criticized, among other things, that it was unfair and irresponsible to pay off the cost increases only for the insured. The insured would have to handle alone pending increases in contributions, as soon as the reserves of the health fund were applied. Neubauer also assumes that the health insurances will demand a higher contribution from 2017 onwards. „Presumably, the average contribution rate will then be 16.0 percent. If all coffers increase, then the incentive to change for the insured is also not very high“, so the economist. (Sb)