The Consumer Central Association (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband) has sharply condemned the risky financial investments made by statutory health insurance funds, citing the alleged loss of millions in contribution payments.
Thomas Moormann, the head of the Health Team, told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung that contribution funds should never be treated as a speculative asset pool. He noted that news of such mismanagement naturally sparked public outrage, especially as consumers are already facing tighter budgets due to increased co-pays, greater personal contributions, and higher premiums starting next year.
According to Moormann, the financial harm for members of the affected health insurers and chambers of physicians is immense. He added that this damage is matched equally by a severe loss of faith in the statutory health insurance system.
The health expert called for a thorough investigation to determine the full extent of the damage and identify the specific points where the system and the involved parties failed. He questioned what personal responsibility the management of these public corporations carries, and why supervisory bodies did not prevent the high-risk investments. He stated that the minimum requirement now is to do everything possible to recover at least some of the lost funds, while ensuring no such occurrences happen again in the future.
Furthermore, Moormann advised that when choosing a health insurer, transparency regarding quality should be supplemented by an assessment of how carefully the insurance companies manage contribution payments. Consumers should be able to make their choice based on the sustainability, social, and ecological appropriateness of the investments made by the health insurers and chambers of physicians.
