Legal dispute over hospital reform: VdK complains against GKV contributions!

Legal dispute over hospital reform: VdK complains against GKV contributions!

The Social Association VdK plans to act against the high contributions to statutory health insurance (GKV), which should serve as a financing for the controversial hospital reform. This reform, which, according to estimates, will cost around 50 billion euros over the next ten years, is the focus of criticism. The VDK sees the use of GKV contributions for the reorganization of the hospital landscape as unconstitutional, since these funds are earmarked and may not be used for the general budget, as the Federal Constitutional Court emphasizes. VDK President Verena Bentele emphasizes that GKV contributions may only be used for services that benefit the insured directly. Measures that benefit all citizens should be financed through the general state budget in order to ensure a fair load distribution. This situation could lead to an additional annual burden of 2.5 billion euros for statutory health insurance, and the insured people already feel significant premium increases to expect further increases in the coming months.

The VDK will take legal action by making members of their contribution notices. The dispute could escalate up to the social courts and possibly even get to the Federal Constitutional Court. The association believes that current practice violates the constitutional rights of the policyholder. The legal opinion of Prof. Dr. Gregor Thüsing, which questions the constitutional admissibility of the intended financing, underpins the position of the Vdk.

financing of the transformation fund

The financing of the hospital reform is borne by both the federal states and by the legally insured persons. The draft law provides that the federal share of 25 billion euros should be borne by the SHI. However, private health insurance (PKV) is excluded from the planned co -financing, which leads to further tensions. PKV association director Florian Reuther criticizes this injustice and demands financing by tax funds to create a fair solution.

Professor Thüsing emphasizes that the mandatory participation of the SHI in the transformation fund represents a misuse of the premiums, which is constitutionally inadmissible and violates the financial constitution of the Basic Law. In addition, Prof. Dr. Dagmar Felix from the University of Hamburg this view in an expert opinion for the GKV top association.

criticism and challenges of the reform

Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) pursues extensive goals with the hospital reform, including the reduction of double structures and the stronger specialization of the clinics. However, an additional financial requirement of 0.5 to 0.6 percentage points for the coming year is forecast. Critics consider these changes to be potentially insufficient to solve the financial problems and incentives in the system.

The CEO of the GKV, Doris Pfeiffer, also comments concerned about the unequal burden of the legally insured. Civil servants and the self -employed who are privately insured still receive no direct financial participation in the costs of the reform. This inequality increases the demands for a fairer financing of the transformation fund.