Rösler mulling extra per capita health insurance premium
German Health Minister Philipp Rösler plans to tack a monthly per capita premium of €29 on health insurance beginning in 2011 to make up for deficits at statutory insurers, a media report said on Monday.
The fee would be paid by every person who is publicly insured, meanwhile employers and employees would continue to pay equal parts of insurance fees, the daily Märkische Allgemeine reported.
To alleviate the burden on the insured, Rösler also plans to remove additional fees of 0.9 percent added to employees’ contributions in 2005.
A government commission for healthcare reform is scheduled for their first meeting on Wednesday to discuss the plan.
According to Health Ministry estimations, public insurers face a deficit of around €11 billion for 2011 due to the flagging economy.
German law requires that health insurers charge members extra fees when they can’t make do with the money doled out for each customer by the government's central statutory health care fund.
Germany’s public health care system instituted a new universal premium in January 2009. Set at 15.5 percent of an individual's gross pay, it has turned out to be insufficient to maintain the budgets of the country's statutory insurers. Many have begun slapping extra fees on their customers this year.
Comments
See Also
The fee would be paid by every person who is publicly insured, meanwhile employers and employees would continue to pay equal parts of insurance fees, the daily Märkische Allgemeine reported.
To alleviate the burden on the insured, Rösler also plans to remove additional fees of 0.9 percent added to employees’ contributions in 2005.
A government commission for healthcare reform is scheduled for their first meeting on Wednesday to discuss the plan.
According to Health Ministry estimations, public insurers face a deficit of around €11 billion for 2011 due to the flagging economy.
German law requires that health insurers charge members extra fees when they can’t make do with the money doled out for each customer by the government's central statutory health care fund.
Germany’s public health care system instituted a new universal premium in January 2009. Set at 15.5 percent of an individual's gross pay, it has turned out to be insufficient to maintain the budgets of the country's statutory insurers. Many have begun slapping extra fees on their customers this year.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.