Health insurance: DAK boss warns of "contribution tsunami" - Lauterbach should act
Created: 06/14/2022, 11:25 am
By: Patricia Huber
Is the next cost shock looming now?
The health insurance companies lack billions, which could lead to rising contributions – unless Minister of Health Lauterbach intervenes.
Berlin – Will the health insurance contributions now also be increased?
Consumers are currently confronted with enormous price increases in all areas of life.
Inflation is at its highest level in almost 50 years.
Energy, groceries and the like cost an average of 7.9 percent more in May than in the same month last year.
Health insurance companies are missing several billion euros
Now there is also a risk of a price shock for health insurance.
Because the statutory health insurance could lack more money in the coming year than previously assumed.
Previous estimates assume a financial gap of 17 billion euros.
According to calculations by the Institute for Health Economics (IfG), there is even a risk of a deficit of 25 billion euros, the
Bild
newspaper reported.
In the previous estimates "the war in Ukraine and the consequences were not yet priced in," said IfG boss Günther Neubauer of the newspaper.
"Inflation is increasing spending in practices and clinics, while the prospects for the job market in autumn are rather poor."
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach had already announced that health insurance contributions would increase in 2023.
© Chris Emil Janssen/Imago Images
Health insurance companies: DAK boss sends warning words to Minister of Health Lauterbach
The CEO of DAK Gesundheit, Andreas Storm, called on Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) to act.
"Together with the Federal Minister of Finance, Lauterbach must now answer the question of whether and how he wants to prevent the impending tsunami of contributions from the 70 million insured persons." The industry has been waiting for the announced draft law to stabilize the finances of the statutory health insurance funds for three months, said Storm.
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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.
(ph/dpa)
