Tuesday, January 04, 2022
The federal government should inject tax money
Health insurance companies complain of a deficit of billions
For the year 2022, the health insurances will receive an additional 30 billion euros in tax money: This should offset the pandemic costs. The top association is now demanding a hefty surcharge for 2023: ten billion euros are missing from the balance sheet.
The statutory health insurances are warning of deficits in the double-digit billions and therefore call on Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach not to postpone the financial reforms agreed in the coalition agreement. “The statutory health insurance has a massive financial problem, especially due to expensive reforms in recent years. That cannot be delayed,” said Doris Pfeiffer, the head of the umbrella association of health insurers, of the editorial network Germany (RND). It is true that it is urgent for Minister Lauterbach to take care of all questions relating to the fight against the pandemic. “But that is why the reforms in the health sector agreed by the traffic light parties in the coalition agreement must not be left behind,” warned Pfeiffer.
Pfeiffer emphasized that the financial situation is currently only stable because the federal government has doubled its tax subsidy for 2022 by 14 to almost 30 billion euros. The financing for 2023 is still open. “If nothing is done, contributions will have to rise by an average of almost one percentage point in early 2023,” she warned. With a monthly income of 3500 euros, that would be an additional burden of 35 euros for the insured and the employer, calculated Pfeiffer. “I cannot imagine that anyone in politics would want that,” said the head of the umbrella association.
“Actual costs must be reimbursed”
Specifically, she demanded that the federal government pay the health insurers fully cost-covering contributions for Hartz IV recipients from 2023. It is “highly problematic” that the coalition agreement between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP does not speak of a complete equalization, but only of higher contributions. “It is simply not the task of the contributors to the statutory health insurance to finance government tasks,” said Pfeiffer.
“We expect the new federal government to reimburse the statutory health insurance for the actual costs incurred, a total of ten billion euros more than before,” demanded the head of the association.