The national association of health insurance funds is issuing warnings that the planned health reform is facing erosion. Oliver Blatt, head of the GKV board, told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” that during the first months of the year, health insurance expenditures doubled the rate of income growth. He stressed that if decisive action is not taken soon, the financial situation could become severely unstable before the end of the year.
Blatt noted that there are current discussions about potentially rescinding planned savings in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors, leading to fears that the hospital reform will be watered down. He stated that this would be a major mistake that would result in further increases in health insurance contributions.
He urgently called upon the Bundestag to resist lobbying pressure from the pharmaceutical industry, hospitals, and medical professionals, urging them to pass legislation in the coming week that can ensure stable contribution rates for health insurance funds. Blatt emphasized that politicians must not be intimidated by the alarmist portrayals presented by various interest groups.
Blatt provided details on the financial pressures, explaining that while health insurance income rose by about four percent in the early months of the year, spending increased significantly: over nine percent more for hospitals, over seven percent for medical practices, and around six and a half percent for medications. Without countermeasures, the financing gap for the coming year is estimated to be around 18 billion euros. Given that supplementary contributions have already risen multiple times, along with planned increases in co-payments and contribution assessment ceilings, insured individuals and employers are facing mounting costs. He insisted that hospitals, the pharmaceutical industry, and doctors must step up and not avoid their responsibilities.
Furthermore, the association leader reiterated the need for increased federal funding. He argued that it constitutes a major social injustice to fund the healthcare of basic benefit recipients primarily through payments made by those contributing to statutory health insurance. He described the lack of serious attention to this problem within the reform as a significant weakness. While acknowledging that this error exists, he added that it is still possible to correct it and that the Bundestag can still make different decisions, specifically concerning an annual amount of 12 billion euros.
