Around 1 million refuse additional contribution

Health insurance additional contribution

Around 1 million refuse additional contribution.

(17.08.2010) Experts estimate that around one million health insured persons refuse to pay the additional contribution. For the health insurance companies this is an untenable condition, as this further exacerbates the financial situation. The proportion of defaulting additional contributors is around 30 percent. In the course of this, the Federal Ministry of Health has announced a fine in order to be able to collect the additional contributions nevertheless.

Many statutory health insurance companies have been making additional contributions from their members since the beginning of the year. Many insured then changed the cash register. Others refuse the additional payments or simply can not afford it. According to expert groups, around one million contributors are currently refusing the additional contributions. According to a survey by the "Thüringer Allgemeine", every fifth member of the DAK, BKK Gesundheit and BKK für Heilberufe did not pay the additional contribution. About ten percent of the DAK members refuse the additional contribution, with the BKK health it is even whopping 30 percent. A collection procedure is currently not worthwhile for the funds, since the amount to be collected is too low. Therefore, the health insurance companies try to persuade unwilling cash-desk patients with letters and telephone calls to pay the additional fee nevertheless.

Now, however, the Federal Ministry of Health wants to jump the health insurance company aside. A planned model is to collect the defaulting amount directly from the employer. Another option is to impose a fine, as a spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Health confirmed.

No additional contribution for Hartz IV recipients in the future.
Since many insured persons can not pay an additional contribution due to the financial situation, the Federal Government also plans to exempt Hartz IV and social benefits recipients from the additional contributions. A corresponding bill had already been passed for submission to the Bundestag in the coalition circles.

Penalty for defaulting cash patients

The Federal Government is planning a so-called late payment premium for insured persons who have not paid any additional contributions for six months. If you do not pay an additional contribution, you will be asked twice to pay. The draft plans to be introduced at the beginning of next year. How high the fine should be, is not yet determined. Another plan is to refuse defaulting contributors the planned social compensation. However, there is still no confirmation from the Ministry of Health.

As part of the health care reform, the general health insurance contribution will also be increased. Accordingly, the percentage health insurance contribution is increased from 14.9 to 15.5 percent of the gross salary. Because in the health insurance funds gapes a big black hole. Financial experts assume that without reforms, the health insurance companies threaten a billion deficit of about 11 billion euros. Therefore, the health insurance companies should be allowed to determine the amount of additional contributions from 2011 in the future. A legal requirement should then no longer exist. But not only for the insured should be saved. For example, the fees of GPs and family physicians should not rise any further, clinics and hospitals must prepare for cuts, and pharmacies will also be affected by the austerity measures of the Federal Government.

The Federal Minister of Health Philipp Rösler (FDP) was confident about the austerity plans and hopes within and outside the black-yellow coalition broad support. It has already become clear from coalition circles that the late payment premium for the additional contributions will definitely come. For the other topics, however, there is still no agreement. It was not yet decided how a possible social compensation could be structured. So far, the CSU has not been willing to compromise on the issue of social equalization for socially disadvantaged people. In the next few days, further projects of the Federal Government in the area of ​​the health sector are likely to become known. (Sb)

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