Pros and cons of the CDU/CSU proposal of a lump sum health insurance premium

The introduction of a lump-sum premium in mandatory health insurance (GKV) has been backed by economic experts for several years. The compromise reached between the CDU and CSU, explained here by Christa Stewens, Bavarian Social Minister, still contains the basic principle of a lump-sum premium but its distribution-policy effects are weakened vis-à-vis the theoretically purer concept. Prof. Andreas Haufler, University of Munich, does not expect any appreciable efficiency gains from this reform and Gerrit Roth, also University of Munich, is fundamentally opposed to the plan. For Prof. Hans Fehr, University of Würzburg, the compromise reached is inferior to the initial concept in all relevant criteria. Also for Prof. Friedrich Breyer, University of Constance, the CDU/CSU model displays a maximum of intransparency.