TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2001//
TI  - Risk structure compensation in Germany's statutory health insurance
JO  - European journal of public health
A1  - Busse, R.
SP  - 174
EP  - 177
VL  - 11
IS  - 2
N2  - In 1996 insurees in Germany's statutory health insurance system were given a right to choose their sickness fund. To ensure that all funds had an equal starting position, a risk structure compensation scheme based on income and average expenditure by age and sex was introduced. From an analysis of expenditure and transfers, data on sickness fund membership and a published survey, the following effects can be identified: sickness funds merged, with a reduction in number from 1,221 to 420 between 1993 and 2000; the risk compensation scheme narrowed differences in contribution rates; insurees left the more expensive funds for cheaper ones; and increasing transfer sums indicate further risk segregation. Thus, the compensation mechanism will have to be retained permanently, although modifications are likely.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1101-1262
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -