Enlarge image
Karl Lauterbach in the Bundestag: The package is intended to compensate for a minus of 17 billion euros
Photo:
Annette Riedl / picture alliance / dpa
The pandemic is not over yet, but the financial consequences have long been a heavy burden on statutory health insurance companies.
You reported a record deficit of 17 billion euros for the coming year to Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach.
The SPD politician himself blames the previous government's generous spending policy.
One thing is clear: someone will have to pay the costs.
Now the Bundestag is deliberating for the first time on a draft law with which Lauterbach wants to stabilize the financial situation of the cash registers.
After all, his concept does not include cuts in benefits for the insured.
This is planned:
Higher additional contribution
Part of the deficit is to be compensated for by raising the additional contribution for individual health insurers.
Lauterbach expects this to increase by an average of 0.3 percentage points.
Half of this has to be paid by the insured and the other half by the employer.
However, the average additional contribution is only an arithmetical figure based on the estimated financial requirements of the health insurance funds.
Each individual fund decides for itself whether and to what extent it increases the additional contribution.
The 0.3 percentage point increase would increase the average additional contribution to 1.6 percent.
Together with the general contribution rate of 14.6 percent, the total contribution for statutory health insurance (GKV) would rise to 16.2 percent.
If one fund increases its additional contribution, the insured have the right to switch to another.
More federal money
The federal subsidy of currently 14.5 billion euros is to be increased by two billion euros in the coming year.
The federal government is also granting the GKV an interest-free loan of one billion euros to the health fund for 2023.
Solidarity contribution of the cash registers
The health insurance companies should also make a solidarity contribution of four billion euros from their reserves, and funds from the health fund of 2.4 billion euros will also be used.
Relief from drug costs
The manufacturer rebate, which the pharmaceutical companies have to grant the statutory funds for patent-protected medicines, is to be increased from seven to twelve percent for one year.
The pharmacy discount of 1.77 euros per drug pack is to be increased to two euros for two years.
This gave health insurers a higher discount for prescription drugs.
The moratorium on drug price increases is to be extended until the end of 2026.
Restrictions on Doctors' Compensation
The additional remuneration that doctors receive for new patients is to be abolished.
So far, they have received allocations outside of their budget.
The increases in fees for dentists are also to be limited.
Apr/AFP