German sickness funds furious at Schmidt's U-turn
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
German health minister Ulla Schmidt's U-turn on the introduction of a minimum insurance contribution level (Mindestbeitrag) has infuriated the larger statutory health insurance funds. Experts say the minister has bowed to the wishes of the Green Party (Bundnis90/Die Grunen) by deciding against introducing a Mindestbeitrag of 12.5% from the start of 2002,as she had earlier proposed.