Are the health insurance companies missing 17 billion euros in the coming year – or is it even 25 billion? The forecasts are still far apart. The discussion about what should be done is all the more heated.
A new forecast for the expected deficit of billions in statutory health insurance in the coming year has made the call for more tax money for health insurance companies louder.
According to the Institute for Health Economics (IfG), statutory health insurance is threatened with a deficit of 25 billion euros in the coming year, as reported by the “Bild” newspaper. Last week, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds announced that 17 billion euros were missing for 2023 as of today.
The difference comes about because he included the high inflation in his calculations, said IfG boss Günter Neubauer of the German Press Agency. This also drives up the prices for material costs and personnel. Neubauer told the “Bild” newspaper that the previous estimates “had not yet priced in the war in Ukraine and the consequences”. Neubauer: “Inflation is increasing expenses in practices and clinics, while the prospects for the job market in the fall are rather poor.”
Debate on funding
The Chairman of the Board of DAK Gesundheit, Andreas Storm, called on Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) to act in “Bild”. “Lauterbach, together with the Federal Minister of Finance, must now answer the question of whether and how he wants to prevent the impending tsunami of contributions from the 70 million insured.” The industry has been waiting for the announced draft law to stabilize the finances of the statutory funds for three months, said Storm.
In view of the expected deficit in the billions, Lauterbach had already prepared the members of the statutory health insurance funds for the fact that contributions could increase in 2023. In March he said that with an expected cash deficit of around 17 billion euros next year, this cannot be completely avoided.
The head of the board of directors of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds, Doris Pfeiffer, had called for fundamentally more financial stability last week.
The health policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Tino Sorge, demanded: “The federal government must (…) now take measures to enable planning security for citizens and for health and long-term care insurance.” Lauterbach must submit a corresponding draft law.
Left parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch said: “Higher health insurance contributions in the coming year would be fatal.” They are unreasonable for low and normal earners. “Health Minister Lauterbach should get the money from the top earners and spare low and normal earners,” Bartsch told the dpa. It is necessary to enter the public insurance and a fair financing of the health system. »
General Metal Managing Director Oliver Zander said: “Shrugging your shoulders and letting the contributions increase is not a solution.” However, the basic deficits in the health system should not be whitewashed with credit-financed grants.
DGB board member Anja Piel, on the other hand, demanded: “For reliable health care, the federal government must contribute more to the financing of health insurance companies.” The health insurance companies would have to be financed in a solid and crisis-proof manner.
Source: Stern
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