Billions surplus of the health insurance companies

Billions surplus of the health insurance companies does not justify a contribution reduction of the statutory health insurance

28/01/2011

In view of the billions in surplus of the statutory health insurance, the SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach calls for a reduction in premiums of cash contributions. According to the GKV circle of estimates, the health insurance funds will generate a surplus of around 2.7 billion euros by 2014. The liquidity reserve will amount to around six billion euros by the end of 2011.

But „Stop“ It echoes from the ranks of the black-yellow coalition. The generated surplus is needed to finance social compensation in the future. The increase of the regular contributions to 15.5 per cent prevented finally in this year with the majority of the health insurance companies an additional contribution argued Jens Spahn, health expert of the CDU. But Lauterbach sees in the increase in cash contributions a deception of the citizen. The Federal Government has always justified the increase in contributions by suggesting that the SHI should face a deficit of around EUR 11 billion. But now it turns out that the health fund's liquidity reserve will rise to 6.2 billion euros by the end of the year. In view of these figures, the contribution rate for employees would have to be reduced by 0.3 per cent because the forecasted deficit would not materialize. The Federal Government had introduced the contribution increase only, so that no additional contributions are introduced. That was a pure deception of the insured.

But the Federal Government sees no room for maneuver to reduce the contribution of health insurance contributions. The reserve finally serves to compensate revenue fluctuations of the health insurance companies. In addition, it should be avoided that the taxpayer is overburdened, Dr. Gaßner, President of the Federal Insurance Office. At the end of the year, the reserve fund was just at the minimum rate of 20 percent. A further expansion of the reserves is necessary in order to finance social compensation in the future. This is in the interest of all insured, because the health fund ensures the future and financial viability of the statutory health insurance. Short-term changes could jeopardize the fund, said the chairman of the Federal Insurance Office. (Sb)