Members of private health funds (PKV) especially are increasingly failing to pay their contributions. Shortfalls of around 554 million euros from 144,000 non-payers were recorded.
The situation is even more dramatic for the statutory health insurance funds (GKV): As early as August 2011, 638,000 statutory insured persons accounted for altogether more than one billion euros; 530,000 of these health fund accounts are held by those who are voluntarily insured. Health funds are no longer able to cancel policies of those who are behind in their payments since general compulsive insurance was introduced in 2007.
Commentary: For the insurance companies, these contribution arrears are deemed to be outstanding monies and therefore assets. The missing liquidity, however, has to be also financed in the interim by the health funds and in the long term affects a fund’s profitability portrayal as well. Those health funds who are hugely affected by this will have to ask themselves how members who are behind in their payments could be meaningfully grouped together and be induced by various means to pay up.