Health insurance associations demand: initiate financial reforms of the statutory health insurance now

17.05.2023 12:28

The health insurance associations are calling on the health and financial politicians of the government parties to quickly initiate reform measures for stable, reliable and solidarity-based financing of statutory health insurance (GKV). The Federal Ministry of Health has a statutory mandate to submit relevant recommendations by the end of May 2023, the associations explain in a joint letter.

“Time is running out,” because in 2024 the GKV will once again face a financing gap amounting to several billion euros. Apart from the regular inflow from the health fund's liquidity reserve for 2024, amounting to an estimated two to three billion euros, there are no further funds available to close the financing gap. Without further political measures, there will be renewed pressure on contribution rates in the statutory health insurance system.

As early as 2023, the average additional contribution rate was increased by 0.3 percentage points to 1.6 percent. With contribution rate increases and withdrawals from the liquidity reserve, the additional financial requirements are placed solely on the shoulders of the GKV members. According to the associations, this is unbalanced and unsustainable. In order to stabilize the GKV's finances, they are proposing a comprehensive package of measures on both the expenditure and income sides. In addition to cost-covering contributions for recipients of citizen's benefit, they are calling for a general reduction in VAT on medicines and medical aids as well as a dynamization of the federal subsidy for statutory health insurance to compensate for non-insurance services. In addition, the health insurance companies want more options for controlling the efficiency and quality of care, for example when drafting contracts and auditing hospital bills. Care must be more closely aligned with the principles of needs-based justice, quality improvement and transparency.