“Success story” discount contracts
22.12.2009 09:42
Health insurance companies save more than 1 billion euros per year
The discount agreements of the statutory health insurance companies reduce pharmaceutical expenditure by more than one billion euros annually. This was the result of calculations by the German Pharmacists Association (DAV) based on available information. Only a few health insurance companies have published details so far. “The pharmacies put the discount agreements into practice with great effort, but, like the insured, are left in the dark about the actual savings and success of individual health insurance companies,” says DAV chairman Fritz Becker.
The Federal Ministry of Health had already reported a savings volume of 310 million euros for the second half of 2008. Much higher savings can be expected for 2009 and the coming years, as many legal uncertainties in tenders have now been eliminated and health insurance companies are therefore concluding more and more contracts. According to recent media reports, individual health insurance companies receive discounts with high double-digit percentages from generic drug manufacturers. “Discount contracts […] enable statutory health insurance-wide savings amounting to billions,” explained Dr. Christopher Hermann, negotiator for the AOK drug discount agreements, a few days ago. The company GWQ, which works for company health insurance companies, even speaks of “several billions”.
The AOK alone estimates its annual savings potential through discount contracts at 512 million euros - that was before it announced a further tender tranche for 87 active ingredients with 435 individual contracts. The BKK joint venture “spektrum K” recently announced that a first successful discount contract tender would generate annual savings of 5.20 euros for each of the 7.3 million insured people. The DAK recently announced that it had awarded contracts to pharmaceutical manufacturers for 18 active ingredients and is now putting 95 additional active ingredients out to tender for discount contracts. A tender from BARMER for millions of insured people is now eagerly awaited. The KKH Alliance describes the discount agreements as a “success story” and says it is planning to put out tenders for 50 additional active ingredients.