Statutory health insurance boosted by sharply rising premium income in the first half of 2023
19.09.2023 13:45
The Federal Ministry of Health published the financial results of the statutory health insurance (GKV) for the first half of 2023 on Friday. The chairman of the board of the Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance (Zi), Dr. Dominik von Stillfried:
“Statutory health insurance (GKV) was boosted by sharply rising premium income in the first half of 2023. Overall, the financial reserves of the health insurance companies amounted to 9.7 billion euros as of June 2023. Without taking additional contributions into account, the contribution income rose by 5.9 percent compared to the same period last year - with additional contributions even by 6.8 percent compared to the first half of 2022. This corresponds to the net wage development of 6.6 percent determined by destatis for the second quarter of 2023. This was slightly above the inflation rate of 6.5 percent. In contrast, statutory health insurance spending on hospital treatment rose disproportionately, with an increase of 7 percent. Spending on outpatient medical care, however, continued to develop well below average, with an increase of just one percent.
Surplus of almost 1 billion euros
This is also why the health insurance companies were able to record a surplus of 600 million euros in the first half of 2023, adjusted for special effects. Nevertheless, the health insurance companies never tire of pointing out supposedly impending deficits - as was the case most recently in a 'fire letter' to politicians on August 18, 2023. However, hardly anything of these can be seen in the subsequent annual financial statements. In fact, instead of the announced deficit of 17 billion euros, the health insurance companies were able to achieve a surplus of 386 million euros at the end of 2022. Including the provisions for risk structure compensation, this resulted in a surplus of almost 1 billion euros. The health fund was also able to record a surplus of 4.3 billion euros. Overall, this resulted in an increase of 5.3 billion euros in 2022. This means that at the end of 2022, the health insurance companies had 10.4 billion euros in reserves and the health fund had an additional 12 billion euros in reserves.
Health insurance associations do a disservice to legally insured patients
This backdrop of supposedly threatening deficits repeatedly serves as an argument for health insurance associations to shift responsibility for necessary improvements in the financing of outpatient medical care away from themselves. In view of the generous surpluses, the continuing sharp increase in premium income and reserves of the health insurance companies on the one hand and the threat of gaps in care due to the lack of attractiveness of the medical establishment on the other hand, the health insurance associations are actually doing a disservice to the legally insured patients. It should not be forgotten that operating costs in practices continue to rise faster than the inflation rate, even with lower income from statutory health insurance.”