Higher health insurance contributions and participation in treatment costs for unvaccinated people?
Bavaria’s Minister of Health, Klaus Holetschek (57, CSU), wants to discuss this as a sanction for refusers of a possible general vaccination requirement. In addition to fines, the federal government should also check “whether malus regulations in the area of statutory health insurance are possible and sensible,” said Holetschek to the “RND”.
► His reason: The risk of getting seriously ill with Corona is ultimately “significantly increased” for those who have not been vaccinated.
But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (58, SPD) does not even want to get involved in the discussion, disgusting the advance from Bavaria: “First, the vaccination must be well thought out and introduced by the Bundestag,” Lauterbach told BILD.
And further: “Although I am a clear advocate of compulsory vaccination for adults, now is not the time to think about possible penalties.”
Higher fees for smokers too?
Contributions that are linked to health risks do not even know the solidarity, statutory health insurance, said health insurance chief Andreas Gassen (59) to BILD. “In the logic of Mr. Holetschek, there should also be surcharges for smokers or patients with overweight in the future, since these also regularly trigger high treatment costs.”
FDP health expert Christina Aschenberg-Dugnus (62) thinks “absolutely nothing” of the advance. She relies on educating those who have not been vaccinated: “We must continue to enable vaccinations close to home and make it clear that one can only protect oneself from Covid through vaccinations.”
Even in the sister party CDU one sees Holetschek’s idea with skepticism: “At first glance, an understandable idea,” said health expert Erwin Rüddel (66) to BILD. This opens up the debate about higher contributions “for other, voluntarily assumed, life risks” that put a strain on the health system. For decades this debate has always been unsuccessful. Rüddels judgment: “Not expedient.”
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