Latest news with #DAK-Gesundheit
Local Germany
14-04-2025
- Health
- Local Germany
German health insurance boss warns of 'massive' contributions hike
"If further action is not taken, a contribution tsunami is inevitable with this coalition agreement," Andreas Strom, the CEO of DAK-Gesundheit, told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper on Sunday. Back in January, long-term care insurance ( Pflegeversicherung ) contributions rose to 3.6 percent, while the recommended ceiling for additional health insurance contributions was raised from 1.8 percent to 2.5 percent. According to Storm, statutory health insurance is facing another increase of at least half a percent point at the end of the year. This would mean employees pay an extra 0.25 percent - or €25 on every €1,000 earned - on their health insurance contributions each month. "In conjunction with rising long-term care insurance contributions, we are then moving towards total social security contributions of 43 percent," the DAK CEO explained. "This is not only an imposition on insured employees, pensioners, and employers, it is also poison for the economy." According to Storm, the CDU/CSU and SPD - who are due to form a government in May - have failed to set out adequate funding for Germany's financially strained insurance funds. READ ALSO: How Germany's new coalition will affect your bank balance "All concrete measures mentioned in the drafts that could have ensured the goal of stable social security contributions in the short term were deleted from the final coalition agreement," he said. Advertisement In previous plans drafted by the parties, a total of €20 billion was earmarked in order to cover "non-insurance costs" for health insurance, including care for the unemployed and Covid-related backlogs. In addition, around €9 billion was earmarked for the long-term care insurance funds. These "urgently needed funds" were deleted without replacement in the final version of the coalition agreement, Strom said. With reporting by Imogen Goodman
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sick days due to depression up 50% among German workers, report finds
The number of sick days taken by workers in Germany due to depression rose by around 50% last year, figures from a leading health insurance company have showed. The mental health report by DAK-Gesundheit, released on Sunday, said there were 183 sick days due to depression for every 100 employees the company insured in 2024, up from 122 days in the previous year. Sick days due to mental health rose from 323 to 342 per 100 employees, the figures showed, with workers in child care and elderly care work particularly affected. "The high number of mental illnesses is often associated with long absences and stigmatization for the affected employees and their employers," said DAK chief executive Andreas Storm. "We can no longer close our eyes, because mental health is a key success factor for a resilient society and for Germany as a strong business location." Storm called for increased awareness of the causes and taboo-free information on depression and anxiety disorders as well as support services to strengthen mental health. All age groups are affected by the rise in depression. The figures for younger people have been gradually increasing for several years, while there was a sharp rise in the older age groups in 2024. According to the DAK figures, the average duration of sick leave due to mental illness in 2024 was just under 33 days, slightly above the previous year's level. DAK-Gesundheit is one of the largest statutory health insurance companies in Germany. The mental health report was conducted using the anonymized data of 2.42 million DAK-insured employees, with the help of the IGES Institute in Berlin.
