Policy Article
German health insurance: pause in the increase in expenditure due to aging effects (in German)
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Welfare State
Health
Fiscal Policy & National Budgets
Germany
Economic Policy in Germany
The author supports the hypothesis that the current positive financial position of the German health insurance is predominantly but not only driven by the revenue side. Health care expenditures increased markedly due to the aging of the insured persons in the previous 20 years. But the author reveals that other factors had an even higher impact. In 2016 and 2017, aging had almost no effect on health care expenditures. However, migration and the stratification of the current population led to a pause in aging effects. Since headwinds for the revenue side are foreseeable and effects of aging are likely to return, the author concludes that the current financial situation should not lead to extra expenses.
