PKV increases its contributions from 2011

Threatening contribution shock for millions of privately insured in Germany: Significant higher contributions to private health insurance in 2011

29/12/2010

Despite massive concessions as part of the current decisions on health care reform, the private health insurance (PHI) in 2011 collect an average of seven percent higher contributions. With that, „above all (...) civil servants and pensioners insured without a large income in private health insurance“, Johannes Singhammer, Deputy Chairman of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group, told the daily newspaper that they have considerably more difficulty making their contributions „The world“

The analyst firm Morgen & Morgen has calculated the expected premium increases for private and public health insurances for the year 2011. The basis for this was the development of contributions when a new contract was concluded. The result: private patients have to pay an average of seven percent higher contributions in 2011, and legally insured persons pay about four percent more, according to the newspaper „The world“

PKV increase contributions on average by seven percent
The black-and-yellow coalition government had taken several steps in the course of health care reform to reduce the cost of private health insurance and strengthen its competitive position. In the future, private health insurance companies will be able to take over the drug discounts previously reserved for statutory insurances, the switch from statutory health insurance to private health insurance has been made much easier, and supplementary health insurance policies have been banned from the statutory health insurance, so that only private health insurance companies can now offer supplementary health insurance. However, the private health insurance apparently can not get their cost increases under control, so that many private insurers will increase their contributions significantly in the coming year - often by more than 10 percent, with individual rates even up to 34 percent, as shown by the calculations of tomorrow & morning , Thus threatens the letters of the private health insurance, which inform its members at the end of the year about the contributions for the coming year, many of the approximately nine million privately insured a veritable contribution shock.

Also statutory insured pay higher contributions
Although the approximately 50 million legally insured persons must also accept higher contributions and also make additional contributions, but in relation to private health insurance, the anticipated premium increase here is relatively low. For example, the President of the Federal Insurance Office, Maximilian Gaßner, described the financial development of the statutory health insurance funds in 2011 as „relatively stable“. Although the 13 nationwide health insurance companies, which already require an additional contribution from their insured, this is expected to raise this year and „there are still some which are added“ As Gassner told the news agency dpa stressed that overall, however, the increases in premiums for statutory insurance are quite clear.

The individual SHI still have to make additional contributions, is justified by the fact that the expenditure of the funds with the 178.9 billion euros allocations from the health fund in 2011 are covered only on average, explained Gaßner. „Individual funds can“, according to the BVA president, „with their expenses over it“ and therefore have to make additional contributions to cover their costs. For the approximately 50 million people insured by the law, the general contribution rate will rise from 14.9 to 15.5 percent in the coming year, which means that GKVs will gain around six billion euros more according to the experts' calculations. However, the impending deficit of around € 9 billion could only be avoided through additional health care reform measures such as higher tax subsidies and savings on medicines, doctors and clinics. In order to limit the financial burdens of the statutory insured by the possible collection of additional contributions, compensation payments from tax revenue will in future also flow if the additional contributions exceed two percent of the insured person's income.

PKV do not get their costs under control
As a reason for the significantly higher contribution increases in private health insurance, the experts call the significantly higher costs. Unlike the statutory insurers, the private health insurance companies receive no tax subsidies and can not reduce their approximately nine million customers who have comprehensive health insurance on their own terms from any of the contractually agreed benefits. However, private insurers have considerably more flexibility than statutory health insurers in terms of adjusting their contributions and selecting their customers. So they should actually be possible „to get their revenues and expenses under control themselves“, emphasized Johannes Singhammer and added: „That's why it's a private health insurance.“ While the individual private health insurance companies warn of potential existential problems, the legal insurance is already in a kind of accelerated concentration process of the market.

The number of statutory health insurance has dropped to a new record low and the trend continues to decline. „At the beginning of 2011 we will still have around 150 funds“, the start of the health fund in 2009 was around 200, said the BVA president. 32 coffers already cover around 90 percent of the market today „and there are even more mergers. At the end of 2011 we will come under 150 cash registers“, prophesied Gassner. What consequences this will bring for the insured remains to be seen. (Fp)

Also read:
BdV warns against hasty change in the PKV
PKV wants to save costs for doctors' fees
Doctors as sellers of additional services
Numerous private health insurance plans to increase contributions for 2011
Simple change planned in the PKV
PKV and children: change should be well considered

Image: Benjamin Klack