Berlin – Statutory health insurance companies recorded a deficit of 776 million euros in the first three months of this year. This comes today from the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) published numbers.
“Health insurance companies reported a significant deficit in the first quarter as expenditure developments gained significant momentum. Even though the financial data for the first quarter should still be viewed with a certain degree of caution, taking into account the evolution of the year as a whole, we have to take this development seriously”, commented Federal Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach (SPD ) in the data.
It is now even more important that the “many structural reforms that increase efficiency in the healthcare system” continue to move forward quickly, Lauterbach said. He referred in particular to the hospital sector – in this area, legal expenses for health insurance have already gone. again increased sharply “With excess capacity and 30 percent vacant beds “The need for hospital reform is once again evident.”
Emergency reform and the Healthy Heart Act would also reduce costs. The Minister of Health explained that these and other reforms are central foundations for stabilizing GKV’s finances in the medium and long term. The supply will be more efficient, the quality of service will be increased and unnecessary expenses will be avoided.
According to preliminary accounting results, the financial reserves of health insurers amounted to around 7.6 billion euros at the end of the quarter. This corresponds to 0.3 monthly expenses and, therefore, one and a half times the legally required minimum reserve of 0.2 monthly expenses.
Cash register income of €79.5 billion was offset by expenses of €80.2 billion in the first quarter of 2024. Spending on benefits and administrative costs increased by seven percent, with an increase in the number of policyholders of 0.3 percent.
Financial development by type of health insurer
According to the figures, the replacement funds recorded a deficit of 314 million euros, the local health insurance funds of 282 million euros, the corporate health funds of 128 million euros and the guild health funds of 72 million of euros. Knappschaft, on the other hand, achieved a surplus of 23 million euros. The agricultural health insurer, which does not participate in the compensation of the risk structure, recorded a deficit of 23 million euros.
The health fund, which had a liquidity reserve of around 9.4 billion euros on January 15, 2024, recorded a deficit of 4.5 billion euros. A significant part of the deficit results from the fact that a total of €3.1 billion from the liquidity reserve will be distributed to health insurers in 2024 in order to stabilize the additional contribution rates of health insurers.
Premium income (excluding additional contributions) increased by 5.3% compared to the same period last year. However, performance expenses increased by 7.5 percent, significantly more than in recent years. In absolute numbers, health insurers’ service expenses increased by 5.32 billion euros in the first quarter.
Hospital costs increased by almost two billion
Expenses on hospital treatment increased by 8.5 percent or 1.94 billion euros in the first quarter of 2024. BMG highlights that the hospital sector is a “significant driver of the high spending dynamics”. Nursing staff costs, in particular, increased extremely dynamically again, by around 10.5 percent (510 million euros).
Expenditure on the supply of pharmaceutical products also increased sharply, by 9.1 percent (1.12 billion euros). BMG highlights that this development is particularly influenced by the expiration of the manufacturer’s legal discount from seven to twelve percent, which was increased once in 2023 by the GKV Financial Stabilization Law.
Expenditure on outpatient medical treatment increased by a moderate 4.7% (€558 million) from January to March. © aha/aerzteblatt.de