As discussions around healthcare reform progress, the focus is increasingly shifting toward addressing fundamental structural questions within the health insurance system, rather than solely concentrating on potential financial burdens for the insured populace.
Christos Pantazis, the SPD parliamentary group’s spokesperson for health policy, cautioned that the costs cannot be borne by only one group. He clearly stated that accountability must be shared among the insured individuals, the service providers, and the health insurance funds themselves. Furthermore, Pantazis demanded that the funds be more substantially brought into the reform discussions, arguing that suggesting otherwise overlooks reality. He stressed that efficiency improvements are necessary within the funds, which specifically requires a structural reform of the existing funding system.
In line with this, Pantazis openly advocated for a significant reduction in the number of insurance funds, arguing that having 90 separate funds is unnecessary. He suggested that a core group of perhaps six to twelve large, capable funds would be sufficient, noting that establishing a sensible minimum size is crucial for efficient administrative organization and dependable provision of care.
The sector itself is echoing these calls for change. Andreas Storm, CEO of DAK-Gesundheit, mentioned the future implementation of spending limitations for the insurance funds. Meanwhile, health economist Andreas Beivers noted that the funds must fundamentally adjust their approach to the future due to major challenges in digitization, IT security, and evolving medical treatments. Beivers questioned whether all approximately 90 funds are currently in an equal position to meet these demands.
