Carola Reimann, the head of the AOK Federal Association, is advocating for a significantly stronger focus on prevention as part of the broader debate surrounding the future of Germany’s statutory health insurance (GKV). According to Reimann, Germany is doing too little to ensure that citizens never become ill in the first place.
She specifically calls for action regarding the availability of alcohol and tobacco products. Given their permanent availability and low prices, Reimann aligns with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to increase the cost of unhealthy food and consumable goods while simultaneously restricting their availability. She suggests practical measures, such as prohibiting alcohol sales at every gas station, limiting advertising, and improving environments that encourage walking or cycling, noting that all these changes would make it easier for people to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Despite these preventive measures, Reimann provided a critical warning regarding the escalating costs faced by health funds. While the funds reportedly generated a surplus exceeding two billion euros in the first half of the year, she argued this represented “only half the story.” She pointed out that service expenditures continued to rise by seven to eight percent, asserting that the true and pressing problem lies with the “uncontrolled dynamic” nature of spending.
Furthermore, Reimann deemed the planned contribution standard stabilization legislation-which promises 18 billion euros in savings-to be inadequate. She stated that these projected savings will not be sufficient and that the initial estimates for the financial gap in the coming year are already obsolete. To address the funding shortfall, she identified additional savings potential in pharmaceutical costs and demanded that the federal government take greater responsibility for overarching societal tasks.
Looking ahead to announced structural reforms, Reimann strongly supports the proposals put forward by the Finance Commission. She holds out hope that the new Health Minister, Carsten Linnemann (CDU), will base his legislative structure on “evidence and the expertise of the commission.” If these Commission reports are made available by the end of the year, she believes the Minister should rigorously examine what is feasible to implement to ensure the health system is both stable and ready for the future.
