ABSTRACT

In Germany, which hosted the first premium-based social insurance practices, the non- premium payment regime is an important social policy component that complements the social security system. In the implementation of social security policies as a whole, Germany participates in the financing process of the nonpremium payment regime as in the premium regime and controls the process. In the case of Germany, the characteristics of the operation that constitute the premium payment regime in terms of both scope and management process constitute the focus of this study. In order to achieve this focus, first the main principles that shape the German social security system were tried to be explained, and then the scope and management processes of premium and non-premium payment regimes were examined on the basis of a legislative arrangement called the “Social Law” [Sozialgesetzbuch SGB ] and containing detailed sub-titles. It has been observed that in Germany, nonpremium payments are based on a public interest idea that is inherent to the social security system, that can predict the asymmetric consequences of inequalities of opportunity on people facing economic and social risks, and that aims to provide social protection function on the basis of equal opportunity. In essence which can be summarized as “establishing social justice”, non-premium payments have two basic functions in this idea: First, to overcome the inequalities surrounding different segments of the society or at least to mitigate their short- and medium-term effects; the second is to make social risks that prevent access to social and economic rights manageable and eliminated by the public power.