The social security forms the most important institution of the social safety device in Germany. It is a nationally closely regulated welfare service for important risks of the existence, which is organized by administered insurers. To the safety device of the contribution arising predominantly liability to insure exists for persons and organizations. The power demand of a yearly is denied almost completely from the contribution arising of the same yearly, i.e. accumulated capital serves essentially only as brief fluctuation reserve (lastingness reserve, generation contract). The achievements are predominantly furnished as contributions of equipment (solidarity principle), same for all insured ones, or as contribution-dependent payments in cash (e.g. pensions, sickpay). To the tasks to the social security also prevention and rehablitation belong apart from the insurance benefits in the closer sense.

History

Major item: History of the social security in Germany

Since 1883 became, initiates by the so-called imperial message, the gradual following branches of insurance developed:

• Health insurance,
• Accident insurance,
• Old age pension insurance (original invalidity insurance),
• Unemployment insurance, since 1922
• Nursing care insurance (since 1995, the health insurance attached).

Only during the health insurance competition exists around members between into kinds of cash arranged the health insurance companies and in relation to the private health insurance enterprises. The nursing care insurance follows the health insurance, i.e. with the choice of the health insurance company the care cash is selected at the same time with this. In the remaining branches of insurance there is monopoly-like assignments, i.e. only a responsible insurer.

Legal form

Those about 550 carriers (health insurance companies, professional associations, old age pension insurances among other things) are organized as public bodies. They are steered by the autonomy organs selected by employers and insured one. Exceptions form thereby the federal agency for work, whose board of directors is occupied by employees, employers and the government third-in equal numbers with representatives, the federal scarce shank, with that the employers 1/3 the representative and the employees 2/3 the representative to place and the private health insurance funds, whose board of directors is selected only by their members. All social security institutions are subject to the national supervision by land and Federal Ministries.

Legal basis

Legal basis of the social security is the social legislation (SGB). To the above mentioned insurance the following parts apply:

• All branches of social security: Social legislation - IV social legislation fourth book
• Health insurance: Social legislation - V social legislation fifth book
• Old age pension insurance: Social legislation - VI social legislation sixth book
• Accident insurance: Social legislation - VII social legislation seventh book
• Nursing care insurance: Social legislation - XI social legislation eleven-width unit book
• Unemployment insurance: Social legislation - III social legislation third book

In addition apply the general regulations, which are in the social legislation I and X. Some few regulations are to be found still in the Reich Insurance Code (RVO).

Financing

The social security is financed to the predominant part from contributions, in some branches also from tax proceeds. The contributions are up to the height of the contribution assessment limit at the gross wages and - salaries (BLG) orients. Altogether the social insurance contributions constitute today (January 2006) up to approx. 46% of the employee payment. The portion is smaller with incomes, which lie over the contribution assessment limits.

The social insurance contributions are carried thus in each case (with some exceptions) "“in equal numbers"”, to the half by employers and employees. The social insurance contributions of the employees are thereby part of the BLG while the social insurance contributions of the employers as well as the BLG the employee payment form.

The employer carries the contributions for accident insurance alone. Within the range of the health insurance since 1 July 2005 0.9% of the contributory income are carried alone of the member as auxiliary contribution (and the employers received thereby a discharge from 0,45%). However the employers carry the social insurance contributions with incomes as far as 800 "€ per month with larger portions. When the nursing care insurance was introduced 1995, the employees had in response on a holiday, which Buss and praying day, to do without. In the Land of the Federal Republic Saxonia remained the holiday, there carries the employees the employee and employer contribution. Finally parts of achievements (so-called "“insurance stranger achievements"”) within the range of the health insurance company are paid by subsidies from the national budget (e.g. from taxes on tobacco).

In the illustration the BNE is set equal 100%. The four lower sizes in the illustration of net wages and - salaries (dark blue), social insurance contributions of the employees (blue tiled) and the employer (yellowish tiled) as well as the wage tax (black tiled) represent the employee payment. The employee payment without the contributions of the employers are the BLG, the base factor (up to the contribution assessment limit) for the social insurance contributions.

Discussion of the advancement

The fundamental financing in equal numbers is continued to question by the employers increasingly. They argue, the high ancillary wages accelerated the job dismantling and the increase of moonlighting, which would still intensify the financing problems of the social security because of the escaped incomes in the final result (see also for this agenda 2010, to pension problem, welfare cutses, obsolescence).

For some years is considered placing the social security on another financial basis. This particularly applies to the range of the health insurance, where a citizen insurance or a health premium is discussed. This is above all because of the fact that with the health insurances the disbursed achievements stand predominantly no longer relatively to the deposited amount. A cause for it is the shift of the achievement emphasis of (contribution-dependent) the sickpay (in former times 95%, today 5% of the costs) to (independently of the contribution granted) medical achievements. The Sinnhaftigkeiten of liability to insure border, contribution assessment limit and one-sided orientation at the earned income is controversially discussed. Also the inclusion of officials and independent ones is demanded into the legal health insurance. Other concepts plan a reversal to partial Kapitaldeckung and private insurance. In individual branches of the social security a dismantling of the achievements was already introduced. Stronger self participations of the insured ones (e.g. practice fee) in addition, serve by creation of cost consciousness the absorption of the achievement demand.

Figures of the social security in Germany

Annually once the Federal Cabinet decides the figures of the social security for the subsequent year. Among them the contribution assessment limits of the different fall gesetzl. Kinds of insurance, the base factor and the yearly pay border. The appointment takes place due to the growth of incomes in the previous year. The base factor is e.g. for the appointment of the minimum contribution assessment basis for freiwillige members and for the contribution computation of person subject to compulsory insurance independent one in the legal old age pension insurance of importance. The regulation of the Federal Cabinet requires in each case the agreement of the Upper House of Parliament.

For 2006 it contains an increase of 0,42% in the old and 0.51% due to the years of 2004 in the new Lands of the Federal Republic. For the updating of the federally uniform valid yearly pay borders in the legal health insurance the federally uniform growth of incomes is determining at a value of 0,45%.

The legal social security in the VGR

The national social security sports association forms the sector state together with the regional administrative bodies (federation, countries, municipalities).

The financing balance the sports association in demarcation of the VGR in contrast to the demarcation of the financing calculation enters thereby financing balance of the state altogether. The financing balance of the state altogether in demarcation of the VGR is article of the "“Maastrichtkriterien"”.

The branches the sports association:

• German old age pension insurance (check valve)
• Legal health insurance (GKV)
• Federal agency for work (BA)
• Legal accident insurance (UV)
• Age safety device of the farmers (AdL)
• Social nursing care insurance (test specification)

See also

• Agrarian social right
• House personnel also to the old person care
• Artist social security
• Ancillary wages
• Social politics
• Social right
• Welfare state
• Social choice
• Social security
• Social security number

Articles in category "Social security (Germany)"

We found here 93 articles.

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