Karl Lauterbach defends himself
Health insurance companies warn of billions in deficit
September 7, 2023, 3:02 p.m
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The statutory health insurance companies are expecting a billion-dollar deficit for the coming year – and that could possibly be at the upper end of the estimate. Minister of Health Lauterbach defends the lower federal allocations. Insured persons and employers could face increasing additional contributions.
The statutory health insurance companies are warning of a billion-dollar deficit for 2024 as a result of the federal government’s policy. So far, the health insurance companies are assuming a gap of between 3.5 billion and 7 billion euros. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, however, defended lower spending on the health system in the Bundestag: This is due to the elimination of costs for the corona pandemic. Compared to the time before the pandemic, the health budget is growing, said the SPD minister. “So we don’t have an overall shrinking budget, but rather a stabilizing budget.” In his speech, he did not address how the draft budget could affect the financing of health insurance companies.
The head of the umbrella organization of company health insurance companies (BKK), Anne Klemm, is assuming a deficit at the upper end of the estimates. “I fear that we will end up with more than seven billion euros,” she told Handelsblatt. In addition to additional burdens due to the reforms planned by Lauterbach in emergency care and clinics, the BKK boss warned that there were also “great risks for the income from the economy and rising unemployment”.
Average additional contribution will probably increase
During the budget deliberations, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner ensured that additional federal subsidies paid to health insurance companies in recent years will now be abolished. Without political measures, the average additional contribution in 2024 would therefore have to increase by 0.4 percentage points according to the “Handelsblatt”. For insured persons and their employers, this would mean an additional burden of more than three billion euros each. Klemm called the rising contributions a “declaration of bankruptcy by the federal government”.
Karl Lauterbach wrote on Platform
Subsidies for nursing care insurance should be eliminated completely
According to the draft budget, the subsidy for nursing care insurance will be completely eliminated next year. The social association SoVD sharply criticized this: “There must be no automatism that compensates for rising costs exclusively through increases in the contribution rate in health and long-term care insurance,” explained SoVD chairwoman Michaela Engelmeier. In this way, small and medium-sized incomes would be additionally burdened, which would lead to “more social injustice”. As an alternative, Engelmeier proposed an increase in the top tax rate or inheritance tax in view of the scarce resources.
The Protestant social association Diakonie also criticized the cancellation of the grants for long-term care insurance. “Instead of finally putting nursing care insurance on a financially sound footing, the additional costs are being passed on to the insured, said Diakonie social director Maria Loheide. This has “fatal consequences.” The underfunding of nursing care insurance means that those in need of care are no longer adequately cared for caring relatives have to give up their job.
The nursing employers’ association (AGVP) made a similar statement: “The traffic light government refuses to take responsibility for long-term, solid financing of nursing care insurance,” said association president Thomas Greiner. Instead of more burdens for those in need of care and those paying contributions, he called for a “big hit” for the expansion of care for the elderly, including a legal right to a place in a nursing home.
The FDP health politician Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus defended the budget cuts. “The Finance Minister’s strict budget course is the only right way,” she emphasized. However, instead of increasing contributions, health spending should be examined. “High spending in the health system alone does not automatically lead to better care,” argued the FDP politician.