Health insurance companies face billions in losses: Capitalism is sick

Capitalism is awesome. It has something to offer for everyone, at least for everyone who can save money. It should also save pensioners from poverty - and the health insurance companies at the same time. At least that is the credo of avowed capitalists like Friedrich Merz (part-time Chancellor) and Co. They preach financial investment as a panacea, which pampers those with more and more money like a perpetual motion machine.

There is only one thing that is often ignored: the risk of loss. Things can quickly get down to business. This is currently shown by the case of health insurance companies and associations of statutory health insurance physicians, which have invested almost unimaginable sums as reserves in funds that subsequently turned out to be extremely shady. At least 1.1 billion euros could have vanished into thin air.

For normal millionaires, a total loss in a fund may be of secondary importance. They usually still have enough on some high ledge. But this is fatal for the notoriously tight health insurance companies. Instead of recovering through returns, instead of securing health care or at least keeping it affordable, holes are now opening up that no doctor, no matter how well trained, will be able to patch.

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The same risk also exists with all investments for future pensioners, regardless of whether they are private or in state-designed pots. This may work well for decades. But if an economic crisis threatens, the pot is empty. Note: Only the providers of the funds certainly benefit from such financial constructs. There is guaranteed to be a commission for them.

Pensioners or those insured by health insurance become compulsory speculators. There would be a way to free them from the risk. Leave the money games to the capitalists! With a little luck and a lot of insider knowledge, they will become incredibly rich. But their profits would have to be taxed just as heavily. This would leave billions for tax-financed pension and health insurance companies. And sick capitalism would be really cool.