Member loss at the health insurance companies

The additional contributions of some health insurance companies lead to a decrease in membership.

The additional contributions of some health insurance companies lead to a decrease in membership, especially for smaller funds. According to a dpa survey, about 400,000 insured have already changed the health insurance or will do it in the near future. Especially small health insurance funds are strongly affected by the willingness of the members to change. For example, the "BKK Heilberufe" is recording "dramatic drops" in its membership figures. A spokesman for the "BKK Heilberufe" reports that around 50,000 layoffs have been received. The BKK currently levies a monthly additional contribution of up to 35 euros. At the beginning of the year, the BKK still had a membership of 170,000. Conversely, this means that the statutory health insurance companies, which require additional contributions from their members, now even more in financial distress, because they lose the contributors.

Other company health insurance funds are also affected by the willingness of members to change. Thus, 2500 dismissals have been received by the "Joint BKK" so far. That's a lot, if you compare how many members this health insurance has. Because at the "Common BKK" just 29,000 members have health insurance. Even with German employees health insurance (DAK) is expected from a large membership loss. But at the "DAK" one would like to give the numbers rather not known. Although dismissals are admitted, no further numbers are named.

Although the statutory health insurance now have the bitter experience that run the members of the raised additional contributions, plan other health insurance also additional contributions. For example, from mid-April the KKH alliance also wants to demand an additional contribution of eight euros from the insured. It can be assumed that the KKH alliance will also experience that a large number of its members will then leave the health insurance fund. Nevertheless, one gives oneself relaxed. After a few layoffs, the normal level will commute again, according to a KKH alliance spokeswoman.

While some are affected by a huge loss of members, the statutory health insurance funds, which do not require additional contributions, benefit. The Techniker-Krankenkasse (TK) already received 121,000 and the Barmer GEK 113,000 membership applications. Meanwhile, some health insurance advertise on the Internet so that no additional contributions.

The consumer centers assume that people with a low income are more likely to change health insurance than others. In addition, it can be observed that the Argen Hartz IV request recipients to change with additional contributions paid the health insurance. Only in a few exceptional cases is it possible for the offices to bear the additional costs. (sb, 02.04.2010)

In this context of interest:
250,000 changed the health insurance
VDK: Head lump makes patients insecure
Hartz IV additional contributions of the health insurance companies