The Spitzenverband GKV, Germany’s leading statutory health insurance association, has issued a stark warning to the government against further measures that would burden patients and contributors. Oliver Blatt, the association’s chairman, vehemently dismissed proposals ranging from introducing co-payments for doctor’s visits to implementing waiting periods without continued salary payments during illness, characterizing them as short-sighted solutions detrimental to citizens.
“These suggestions all follow the path of least resistance and invariably place the financial burden on patients and those paying into the system” Blatt stated in remarks published by the Funke-Mediengruppe. The criticism arrives amidst growing public discontent regarding lengthy wait times for specialist appointments, a situation he argues would be exacerbated by imposing additional fees.
The warning follows a recent increase in supplemental contributions levied by health insurance funds at the start of the year. Blatt is now pressing for decisive structural reforms aimed at reducing expenditures in areas including hospitals, outpatient care and pharmaceuticals. He anticipates a substantial shortfall this year, with projected expenditure increases of 6.5% against revenue growth of just 4%, potentially creating a “billion-euro deficit” within the statutory health insurance system and necessitating individual funds to issue notices of further contribution increases.
To alleviate the immediate financial strain, Blatt proposed two key measures. Firstly, he called for the government to fully assume the cost of non-insurance-related benefits claimed by recipients of Bürgergeld (unemployment benefit), arguing this single change could save €10 billion and reduce the contribution rate by 0.5 percentage points. The GKV has previously initiated legal action regarding this issue, though a ruling is not expected for at least two years, prompting Blatt to renew his appeal for a voluntary government commitment.
Secondly, Blatt highlighted the potential for savings through a reduction in the value-added tax (VAT) on pharmaceuticals from 19% to 7%, a move he believes could save contributors €6 billion annually. He pointed to the recent VAT reduction for the hospitality sector as a stark contrast, questioning whether the restaurant owners wielded a more powerful political lobby than the GKV. “It is obvious” he stated, underscoring a perception that health concerns are being politically marginalized behind other priorities. The disparity is further illustrated by the fact that even animal feed benefits from the reduced VAT rate, while essential medications are subject to the full 19%, exposing what Blatt termed “absurdities” within German health policy. The criticism is escalating the debate on how essential healthcare services are prioritized within the broader economic and political agenda.