Again billion surplus at health insurance companies

Eleven billion euros surplus of health insurance

Financial reserves of eleven billion euros at the statutory health insurance

06/20/2012

The positive development of the financial situation of statutory health insurances (GKV) from 2011 continued in the first quarter of 2012 as well. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, the provisional financial result of the health insurance funds shows a surplus of around 1.5 billion euros.

The Federal Ministry of Health has announced in a press release on Wednesday, the key financial data on the statutory health insurance from the first quarter of 2012. Accordingly, the positive financial development of the GKV continues this year. The expenditures of the health insurance in the amount of approximately 46 billion euro stood opposite income in the amount of approximately 47.5 billion euro. „At the end of the first quarter of 2012, health funds and health insurance funds have a total of about 20 billion euros in financial reserves, of which around 11.5 billion euros are for health insurance companies and about 8.5 billion euros for the health fund“, reports the Federal Ministry of Health.

In view of the current numbers, the Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr (FDP) said that „the continued positive financial development of the health insurance companies is very pleasing“ be, but the situation at the coffers continues to vary. „But everyone benefits from the situation“, Bahr continues. The Federal Minister of Health also took advantage of the occasion to repeat his repeatedly demanded that insured persons should also participate in the positive development „Surpluses are the insured's money, which must also benefit them, for example, through performance improvements and premium payments“, Bahr explained.

Positive economic development causes surpluses in the health insurance companies
The cause of the positive development of the GKV is essentially „the development of premium income with a hitherto favorable wage and employment development“, so the message of the Federal Ministry of Health. However, economic developments in the eurozone continue to entail considerable risks. But also „the expenditure-limiting measures, in particular in the area of ​​pharmaceuticals and in the administrative expenditure of the health insurance funds“ According to the Ministry's announcement, they have contributed to the positive financial development of the SHI. For example, expenditure growth per insured person in the first quarter of 2012 was only 3.5 percent, although an increase in spending of 4.5 percent was forecast.

Major health insurance companies benefit the most from the positive financial development
All statutory health insurance benefit from this development, although the types of health insurance with the most insured persons show the highest surpluses, the ministry reports ... The smaller types of health insurance such as the health insurance funds achieved surpluses of 165 million euros, the guarantors of 154 million euros and the miners' railway Lake of 71 million. The large health insurance companies reached the „AOKen a surplus of approximately 553 million euros and the Ersatzkassen a surplus of approximately 568 million euro“, reports the Federal Ministry of Health. According to the ministry, some of the health insurance companies, which had previously been under slight pressure, were able to do without additional contributions during the course of 2012 and build up reserves again for the first time. (Fp)

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Picture: Andrea Kusajda