The DAK health insurance fund has called for any austerity measures planned for the statutory health insurance system (GKV) to be equally applied to the supplementary welfare benefits provided to civil servants. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post”, DAK Chief Andreas Storm stated that he considers it absolutely necessary to ensure that changes impacting regular GKV patients are mirrored in the assistance provided to state employees. He emphasized that if benefits for GKV patients are to deteriorate, this change must also apply to the civil service benefits.
Storm proposed a specific course of action: before the German Bundestag makes a decision on the GKV reform, the cabinet must propose foundational principles for reforming the civil servant assistance. He stressed that developing these governmental recommendations is a prerequisite for gaining social acceptance for any reform.
The DAK chief provided two key examples to illustrate his argument. First, he referenced the planned elimination of the free joint insurance coverage for spouses. Currently, this provision is viewed as a significant social benefit of the GKV compared to private insurance. If measures are taken to abolish this benefit, they must be mirrored for the civil service assistance. According to proposed federal reforms, spouses who are currently covered for free would need to pay a 2.5% contribution starting in 2028.
Secondly, Storm pointed to the expense limitations being placed on medical treatment for GKV patients. He further argued that the core principle of the reform-that spending increases should only match premium income increases-must be implemented for civil service assistance as well. Therefore, he believes a comparable spending brake is required for federal civil service benefit expenditures.