Record debts at health insurance companies

Hundreds of thousands of insured people do not pay their contributions

04/04/2013

Nationwide, the health insurance currently record losses due to outstanding contributions payments, because hundreds of thousands of insured do not come with their payments. In 2012 alone, total arrears rose from € 1.53 billion to € 2.15 billion, according to a survey by the umbrella association of statutory health insurance (SHI). From this current sum, however, the report of the GKV after 1.27 billion euros as „temporarily depressed“ In these cases, the collection of the outstanding contributions is suspended, since due to the economic conditions of the debtor temporarily only low chance of success exist - in view of the remaining 872 million euros in outstanding membership fees, the defaulting payer but currently on the cash asked. Affected here are often the so-called „self-pay“, most of them being freelancers whose contributions are not automatically paid by the employer, as is the case with employees.

Rising number of defaulting insured also with health insurance companies in Saarland
The cash registers in the Saarland are also confronted with an increasing number of defaulters - with IKK Südwest alone, the sum of outstanding payments rose from 5.6 million euros in 2009 to 7.2 million euros in 2012. In view of this situation, according to spokesman Roland Spengler can be doubted, „whether the current plans to reduce the interest burden can remedy the problem permanently“, instead solutions should be considered, such as „to design contributions and to provide people with such financial resources that they are able to pay their contributions.“ Because since the introduction of general compulsory insurance in 2007, many self-employed could no longer pay their contributions.

Barmer is spared by massive increase
The Barmer GEK in the Saarland has to contend with defaulting payer - in currently 723 cases, a total of about 4.3 million euros would come together, according to the press release. Nationwide, the group of insured insured Barmer GEK consist of relatively constant from around 52,000 people with current premium arrears of currently totaling 310 million euros (2012 comparison: 228 million euros). From one „Explosion of the cases“ how they experience other cash in part, the Barmer but so far remained spared, so the press secretary of GEK Southwest Claus Uebel.

Politics reacts to record losses with draft law
According to figures from the umbrella association of public health insurance funds, the contributors owe all the funds together now about seven billion euros - time for a bill by Minister of Health Daniel Bahr (FDP), which will be presented to the Federal Cabinet next week. Central idea of ​​the planned law is, „that the current default rate of five percent per month is drastically reduced. In the future, the interest should be one percent per month for defaulting insured persons“, so the notification of the GKV.

For private insureds, this could mean new rules from the point of view of the coalition - defaulting payers should therefore be in one „emergency tariff“ to be transferred: „The insurance should then cover only the treatment of acute illness and pain as well as benefits in pregnancy and maternity“, so continues the GKV.

Dunning procedure for open payments
For those who do not meet his contributions, is currently asked by the funds relatively quickly in the obligation: Here, open payments are initially insured with the insured, in the absence of response over a longer period of time, the case is handed over to the authorities and a bailiff with the recovery of the open In this case, the insurance protection basically continues to exist. (No)

Also read:
Zoll drives debts for health insurances
Health insurance: Non-payers cause losses
Private patients flee to the health insurance
Health insurance: additional contributions come again
Insureds owe health insurance 1.5 billion
Sanctions planned for defaulting additional contribution
Hartz IV: Debt relief for PKV insured

Picture: Gerd Altmann