Social Association health reform is unsolid

The planned health care reform of the Federal Government is criticized by social organizations as unsolid. The Volkssolidarität analyzed the cornerstones of health care reform.

(13.07.2010) "The cornerstones for health reform presented by Federal Minister of Health Philip Rösler on 6 July 2010 are ushering in a change of system from the formerly largely solidarity-based statutory health insurance (GKV) to health insurance protection increasingly borne solely by patients and insured persons." This explained the Federal Managing Director of the Social and Welfare Association, Voluntary Solidarity, Dr. med. Bernd Netherland, on Tuesday in Berlin. The occasion is a material published by the association on its homepage, which analyzes the cornerstones of the Federal Government.

The published material states: "The principle of parity financing is abandoned, in particular by the stipulation of the employer contribution at 7.3 per cent and by the extension of the additional contributions already introduced." The people solidarity reject this step decisively, stressed the federal managing director, because with it the basis is laid that alone the insured in future would have to pay over increasing additional contributions the cost increases in the GKV range.

"The collection of income-independent additional contributions represents in fact the introduction of a capitation fee system," criticizes the association in the paper. Firstly, the additional contributions increase the burden on lower and middle income earners, in particular pensioners, the unemployed, low paid workers, apprentices and students as well as for young families. This leads to a real cut in net income. The question of how social equalization should be implemented among the eight million people who receive basic social security benefits under Social Security Codes II (Unemployment) and XII (Old age and reduced earning capacity) largely leaves the Federal Government unanswered.

The federal managing director criticized that the federal government renounces revenue opportunities, which demand a greater contribution to the financing of the health care system from the upper income groups, eg. For example, by raising the contribution assessment ceiling and including private health insurance (PKV) in the risk structure compensation. "For the people solidarity arises the necessity, together with other social federations and trade unions all possibilities to use for the introduced system change not to admit", emphasized Netherlands. "We want to ensure equal and unhindered access for all citizens to good and reliable healthcare regardless of their income, social status, age, health status, place of residence or disability." (Pm)

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Picture: Rainer Sturm