Patient Association Do not rush cash change

Patient Association: Do not rush the cash register

10.02.2011

Insured should not rush a change of health insurance due to additional contributions, warns the German Society for Insured and Patients (DGVP). It is more important to compare the health services of the individual funds.

Patient representatives are currently warning against making a change of health insurance premature simply because it charges a supplementary contribution from its members. It would be better to compare the individual benefits of the funds to each other so that there is no bad awakening later. Although you save about 100 euros a year, if you do not have to pay extra contributions, but „if the emergency comes then you will not get paid what you would like, "said Wolfram-Arnim Candidus, President of the Patients' Association DGVP Most insured persons were due to the additional contributions of the old health insurance in the local health insurance (AOK) changed. But many have apparently complained to the patient association on the AOK. "What arrives at us from the patients is: The AOK rationed best," says the association's director Candidus.

Due to the health care reform, since the beginning of the year the health insurances have been allowed to determine the amount of the additional contributions themselves. The black-yellow coalition conveys to the outside that this should promote more competition among the coffers. Finally, a change of health insurance would be politically wanted to force health insurance companies to profitability. It is precisely this system that criticizes Candidus. The patient representative sees in it rather a lie of the population. The federal government would not dare to say that today's health care system needs more money. If the cash contributions were generally increased, that would be „more honest and transparent.“ The DGVP expects that from now on at the latest 2012/2012 all health insurances will introduce nationwide additional contributions. Also, the future lump sums will be significantly higher than it is the case with some health insurance now, said the association chairman.

Health insurance companies, which currently charge an additional contribution, usually require eight euros per month in addition to the regular contributions. According to an evaluation of the DGB´s, the additional contributions could soon be in the double-digit range because the allocations from the health fund are no longer sufficient. A special termination right can be used by cash patients if the health insurance either announces an additional contribution or increases an already existing one. Within a specified period, the changer must have looked for a new health insurance after notification and terminate in writing at the previous. Mostly, those affected do not have much time left. As a rule, the change must be made within eight weeks. (Sb)

Also read:
Exemption of additional contributions from Hartz IV
Supplementary contribution: health insurance companies lose insured
The Federal Government ends GKV Solidarprinzip
From 2011: Higher health costs

Picture: Harry Hautumm