Supplementary contribution insurance supervision slows down DAK

No abolition of the additional contribution to DAK Gesundheit?

10/26/2011

A few days ago, the German Employees' Health Insurance Fund (DAK) had announced that it would abolish the current additional contribution of eight euros per month and member of the fund. As it was said, the merger with BKK Health will create a solid economic basis that will make it possible to eliminate it. But the supreme treasury supervision slows down the project. The abolition of the additional contribution is thus still open.

Federal Insurance Office contradicts abolition of the additional contribution
For the second quarter of 2012 in April next year, the DAK wants to abolish the additional contribution of eight euros per month after the merger with the company health insurance BKK health as newly firming DAK health. The Federal Insurance Office BVA contradicts the project. In a letter available to the DAK, the supervisory authority vigorously and extremely strongly raises concerns. The BVA chairman Maximilian Gaßner sees due to the „difficult conditions“ the public „Positioning is very problematic“. Gaßner made it clear to the DAK executive board Herbert Rebscher that abolition of the additional contribution can not be carried out without the consent of the BVA. The deletion of the additional contribution was already at a meeting to present the financial concept in the management of the BVA as „critical point“ been evaluated. „Until the conclusion of the statutory procedure, which also includes a hearing of the GKV-Spitzenverbands, it remains unclear whether a permit can even take place“, admonishes the BVA board. From the point of view of the Kassenaufsicht there has been no consent for the abolition. In other words, the BVA has not (yet) approved the project.

DAK is stuck on the project
The DAK can not be upset by the letter and claims that the letter of the supervisory authority is „a common reference“. The newly merged DAK Gesundheit will submit a corresponding application with the cash balance to be approved by the BVA at the beginning of 2012. First, the new board of the new health insurance DAK health must be constituted. For this reason, the DAK chief told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ): „We will abolish the additional contribution for the first of April!“ The abolition of the additional contribution is ultimately a decision of the company and not the BVA.

Additional contribution brought down members
For the DAK and BKK health, the additional contribution has long been an economic block on the leg. Since the introduction in 2010, both funds have suffered heavy membership losses. Especially younger and healthy workers had turned their backs on both health insurance companies in order to seek new health insurance without additional contributions. Thus, the DAK lost at least ten percent of its members. The fund had to introduce the additional contribution due to financial difficulties, because the allocations from the health fund were no longer sufficient. Therefore, the DAK was one of the first providers on the cash market, which demanded an income-independent flat-rate contribution. After the announcement to abolish the additional contribution, many health experts and health insurance responded irritated. There are doubts about whether the restructuring measures taken are sufficient to put both funds on a sound footing. If the project fails and the DAK health announces a bankruptcy, the other funds must be financially and organisationally responsible for the failure. Thus, it was said that even with a net income of 300 million euros according to the law in the coming year, the reserves and reserves must be strengthened before the BVA gives its approval. If this is not the case, the additional contribution can not be abolished.

Fused DAK health remains no choice
In order to assert itself on the statutory cash register market, DAK Health, the third largest national health insurance fund, has no other option than to end the additional contribution for the time being. Without the cancellation of the additional premium, the newly merged health insurance company will hardly be able to recruit new members as long as a majority of the statutory health insurances can manage without additional support. Through the merger with the company health insurance, the DAK promises great structural and financial benefits. Simply by the new member size the DAK health could react better to structural changes.

On the other hand, the abolition was positively commented by the black and yellow government. Finally, the deletion is proof of that „fabulous economic development in the German labor market“. A billion surplus in the health fund is expected for the current year. Thus, the good economic situation can be used to realize unabridged and full allocations. However, critics argue that the situation will increasingly deteriorate in Germany due to the continuing euro crisis. Therefore, the DAK in addition to numerous other health insurance funds at the latest in 2013/2014 will have to resort to the extra contribution. But then the health insurance company will no longer be left alone because the competitors have no other choice. Until then, it means to position oneself well without additional contribution to the market. (Sb)

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