The German pension insurance is currently sending out special letters that only come out every six years. Social elections are coming up. What it’s all about.
This article first appeared on RTL.de
Starting next week, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund (DRV) will be sending out information letters on social elections.
Around 52 million insured persons who are entitled to vote, pensioners of the German Pension Insurance Association and the substitute funds are then called upon to elect their honorary representatives to the respective social parliaments. You can then have a say in who is allowed to make the important decisions there.
Insured persons have their own parliaments in the respective insurance companies (health, pension and accident insurance). These decide on the budget, on the design of new services and appoint the board.
The principle: Whoever pays or has paid contributions should also have a say.
The German pension insurance company informs those who are written to how the election works and why it is worth voting from the advance notice of the election.
Social elections take place every six years
At the election, which takes place every six years, those entitled to vote determine the composition of the representatives’ assembly for pension insurance and accident insurance.
The committees decide, for example, on the use of contribution money, the range of rehabilitation services or on objections to decisions that have been issued. In addition, the representatives check whether contributions from insured persons and employers are used correctly.
Insured persons may only choose the insurance company with which they are personally insured. An example from the responsible Ministry of Labor: A person insured with Techniker Krankenkasse can only choose Techniker Krankenkasse, but not DAK-Gesundheit or Barmer.
Insured persons and pensioners who have reached the age of 16 on January 1, 2023 are entitled to vote.
What do the board of directors and the representative assemblies have to say anyway?
The board of directors in statutory health insurance
- decide which prevention or rehabilitation measures are to be funded or taken over,
- decide who will be the head of the health insurance company and what their salary will be,
- determine the budget and approve the annual accounts,
- commission auditors to audit operational processes,
- set up voluntary appeals committees to which insured persons can turn if the respective insurance company has made decisions against them.
The meetings of representatives in the statutory pension insurance
- decide which rehabilitation measures are funded or taken over, elect the honorary board,
- set up voluntary appeals committees that review the decisions made by the administration of the pension insurance,
- choose voluntary insurance advisors who are themselves insured or pensioners. They advise the insured on submitting applications or obtaining documents.
The meetings of representatives in the statutory accident insurance
- establish accident prevention regulations,
- set the hazard tariffs,
- determine the amount of the contributions,
- elect the honorary board,
- determine the budget
- set up objection boards consisting of honorary representatives of the insured and the employer.
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Eligible voters will receive the actual postal voting documents from the end of April. The ballot papers must be received by the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund by May 31, 2023 at the latest.
Source: Stern
