IKK classic increases additional contribution

Health insurance companies - IKK classic increases additional contribution

With reference to a persistently tight financial situation, the health insurance fund IKK classic adjusts its supplementary contribution rate to 1. August. The Administrative Board decided on Thursday, according to a statement, to increase the contribution rate markup by 0.49 percentage points to 2.19 percent. The decision was not an easy one, emphasized Chairman Helmut Dittke. It is necessary, he continued, to create a framework for sound financial planning and "continue to offer the usual benefits".

For IKK classic CEO Frank Hippler, the main cause of the huge deficit of the Statutory Health Insurance (GKV), is that a significant part of the societal tasks to be financed through taxes are imposed on the contributors in the GKV. The 14 billion Euro federal subsidy, which was supposed to offset these costs, "covers only a small part of our expenses", criticized he. Currently, the GKV lacks 9.2 billion Euro alone to cover the expenses for social welfare recipients.

IKK: Unfair funding of GKV

The Administrative Board demanded fairer financing of the GKV. The disadvantage of insured persons in financing the costs for social welfare recipients is "no longer acceptable", said Dittke. The GKV receives approximately 120 Euro per person from tax revenues for social welfare recipients. "That is far from cost-covering." On the other hand, a private insurer pays the state up to 420 Euro monthly for a social welfare recipient. A forward-looking and stable contribution planning is significantly impeded under the current framework conditions.

The IKK classic, with around three million insured persons, is one of the large health insurance funds in Germany. Several other funds have already announced that they will raise the - depending on the company, different heights - supplementary contribution still in the summer. On average, it was previously 1.7 percent. The total contribution consists of this in addition to the general rate of 14.6 percent of the gross salary.

1. Despite the push for a fairer financing of the GKV, the health insurance fund IKK classic in Thuringia has made the tough decision to increase its additional contribution rate by 0.49 percentage points, effective August 1.
2. The healthcare system in Germany, including institutions like IKK classical in cities like Erfurt, relies heavily on health insurance funds like IKK.
3. The increase in the supplementary contribution rate for IKK classic members is a consequence of the fund's persistent financial struggle, a challenge shared by other large health insurance funds in Germany.
4. The financial position of the GKV, especially in providing coverage for social welfare recipients, has been a subject of ongoing controversy. Critics like IKK's CEO Frank Hippler argue that the burden should not fall disproportionately on health insurance fund contributors.
5. The revenue gap between what the GKV receives from tax revenues for social welfare recipients (around 120 Euro per person) and what a private insurer pays (up to 420 Euro monthly) is a concern for many health insurance funds, including IKK.
6. The adjustments in supplementary contribution rates by health insurance funds like IKK could potentially have an impact on the overall financial position and access to healthcare services in Berlin and other major cities in Germany.

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