Termination model private health insurance (PKV)

Private health insurance is an obsolete model in Germany

27.03.2012

Private health insurance (PKV) is still subject to great criticism in Germany. Excessive contributions, discount deals and exorbitant commissions for insurance brokers lead to a steady loss of image. More and more private persons flee into the statutory health insurance (GKV). Even the policy keeps less and less of the model of private health insurance. Jens Spahn, health expert of the CDU, has spoken in favor of the abolition of private health insurance.

Ever higher costs for PKV
For some time, the private health insurance companies are increasingly exposed to increasing criticism. Due to demographic change and the associated rising costs for medical care, insurers must constantly adjust their contributions. For example, insured persons had to accept collectively agreed premium increases of up to 60 percent at the turn of the year. While the industry keeps weaning and criticism weakens as a campaign against private health insurance, the figures show a different picture. In 2000, insurance companies spent around € 13.6 billion on medical and other services. By 2010, the cost of 22 billion euros had almost doubled.

The private funds have on average always older insured, as people get older, among other things, due to the good medical care and a rich nutritional offer. For insurers, however, this also means that companies have to spend more and more money on innovative medical services. The once propagated advantage of private health insurance turns out to be a true cost motor, because in the case of private health insurance, the insured can submit almost any bill of the doctor or the clinic and be reimbursed.

PKV is an obsolete model
In order to revive the new customer business, many private insurers have begun to lure with so-called cheap tariffs. With monthly contributions far below 100 euros, the customer is advertised. But often such lock offers a rude awakening for those involved. For example, customers have to accept annual price increases of between 10 and 30 percent. Industry experts even calculated 40 percent last. Those affected who want to switch back to the statutory health insurance, have often had bad luck, because a new admission to the SHI is only possible in exceptional cases. As a result, more and more people are in debt every year because they can no longer pay the constantly increased, income-independent insurance premiums.

However, the defaulting payer may not be terminated in Germany, since since the health care reform there is a compulsory insurance. The PKV is now working together with the Federal Ministry of Health on a so-called „Non-payers fare“, which should contain only emergency treatment for 100 euros per month. Whether this can be the right solution for the largely homemade problem remains questionable.

For all these reasons, experts no longer consider PKV to be sustainable. For example, more and more people are in favor of citizens' insurance. Jens Spahn, health expert of the CDU, is in favor of lifting the separation between private and statutory health insurance. For in the long term, there is no way around a reform, he reported. (Ag)