Wellness and support services provided. - Healthcare policy in need of a turnaround, says DAK head Storm.
Health insurance company CEO Andreas Storm argues for a significant shift in healthcare and nursing, akin to security policy reforms. According to Storm, the issues at hand are so extreme that drastic changes are essential. This transformation can only be achieved with extra funds, argues Storm. In a century or two, the baby boomer generation will peak, resulting in an enormous strain on the healthcare and nursing systems. Both systems are underfunded.
Storm lashes out at the meager contribution from the federal budget towards social benefits for health insurance customers. It barely covers a third of the actual costs, which equates to more than 9 billion euros annually. The health fund in statutory health insurance (GKV) is estimated by Storm to be around 300 billion euros each year. The funding shortfall in social benefits is equal to half a percentage point in the contribution rate.
Storm also highlights the disparity in social benefits between GKV and private insured individuals, calling it "a social political scandal of the first order." A social assistance recipient with private insurance slips into their insurance's basic tariff. The state then pays an astounding 3.5 times what it pays to the GKV. "We have a massive justice problem," said the CEO of Germany's third largest health insurance company.
The federal funding for the reimbursement of non-insurance benefits has dwindled since 2010, with a current figure of 14.5 billion euros, claims Storm. This subsidy isn't adjusted dynamically like in pension insurance. Storm also expressed dissatisfaction at the fact that duties the taxpayer must cover are being pushed onto GKV. This includes the hospital restructuring fund, which needs to be financed with 50 million euros annually for the next ten years. GKV should contribute half of this, believes Storm. "This is a misappropriation of contribution money," he asserts, adding that this is also the opinion of the Federal Court of Auditors.
The Ampel administration is considering enlisting the assistance of GKV for additional medical training positions worth 660 million euros annually, protests Storm. GKV's participation in study places or the transformation fund for hospitals is not on the agenda, according to the DAK head.
In the years to come, health insurance will likely face continuous financial pressure due to medical advancements and an aging populace, believes Storm. This amounts to approximately one-quarter of a percentage point per year in the GKV contribution rate. By 2035, the contribution rate for the GKV would have to increase by approximately 2.5 points just to address this issue. Storm advocated for more tax money to be invested in healthcare and nursing insurance. Furthermore, he emphasized the requirement for modernization and digitization of the system. "That's a quantum leap when the electronic patient file (EPA) is expected to be available for everyone from next year," he said. This could lead to considerable savings and improve the level of care provided.
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