Health insurers with a deficit of 3.1 billion

Statutory health insurance funds in deficit this year with 3.1 billion euros.

(28.04.2010) So far it has been assumed that the statutory health insurance funds are missing around 4 billion euros, new calculations now result in an estimated deficit of 3.1 billion euros for 2010. The planned savings in pharmaceuticals have already been included. In December last year, much higher sums were assumed. At that time it was assumed that the unemployment numbers would be correspondingly higher. Now one seems to assume a lower unemployment rate. As a result, 900 million euros were deducted from the estimates at the time. Another aspect is the savings in medicines planned by the federal government. This enables the health insurance companies to save around 500 million euros. Nevertheless, the expected deficit of the health insurance companies is still quite high at 3.1 billion euros.

According to estimates by official circles, the SHI insurance companies receive around 170.3 billion euros from the health fund. The expenditure of all statutory health insurance funds is estimated at EUR 173.4 billion. The fund is expected to raise 172 billion euros. This creates a difference between the expenditure and the revenue side. The health insurance companies must pay this difference themselves. Some health insurance companies have therefore been taking the controversial additional contributions from their members since the beginning of the year. Some health insurance companies such as the DAK require a flat-rate additional contribution of eight euros per month. Other health insurance companies can compensate for the deficits with their own financial reserves. Overall, increasing contributions to health insurance are expected in the future. (sm)

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Consumer protection against additional SHI contributions
Mergers of the statutory health insurance companies?

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