BdV warns against hasty change in the PKV

The federation for insured (BdV) warns against hasty change of insurance in the private health insurance: A change in the PKV should be well considered.

22.12.2010

The Confederation for Insured warns: „Nobody should go into private insurance without thinking, maybe just because he's doing well“, emphasized the chairman of the largest German consumer protection organization for the insured, Thorsten Rudnik. As before: „The step into private health insurance (PKV) is the beginning of a lifelong commitment. A return to the legal is for hardly anyone.“ Although the PKV for many offer significant benefits in the short term, such as lower contributions with better performance at the same time, but in the long term could outweigh the disadvantages for the insured, so the warning of the BdV. „It threatens trouble if you only see the short-term savings and does not really know what the long-term consequences are“, Thorsten Rudnik explained.

Health insurance change is simplified
Background of the current warning of the BdV are coming into force January 1, 2011 Resolutions of the black and yellow federal government on health care reform, which significantly simplifies a change in the PKV and due to the simultaneous contribution increase to 15.5 percent of income in the statutory health insurance ( GKV) appears extremely attractive in the short term. In the coming year, the mandatory insurance limit, meaning that the gross income from the employee is no longer compulsorily insured in statutory health insurance, will be reduced to 4,125 euros per month (49,500 euros per year). In addition, employees only have to reach this limit in a single year in order to be able to switch to private health insurance, not as they have for three consecutive years. Thus, significantly more workers can switch to private health insurance than before, but the change can also bring disadvantages, so the warning of the Federation of insured.

Be careful when changing insurance
Although most private health insurance plans offer particularly low tariffs, especially for newcomers, in the long term, however, customers must expect massive premium increases. Since a change back to the SHI is almost impossible, everyone should think twice, which insurance in the long term for him personally seems best suited, said the BdV. The individual situation of the insured is decisive in determining which system is the better choice. For example, it can basically be stated that private insurance for people who later have children and would then probably want to insure them is rather unfavorable, according to the BdV. While the GKV automatically covers family insurance and provides the children with insurance coverage, private health insurance companies have to pay their own contributions for each family member, explained Thorsten Rudnik and therefore warned to be careful when changing insurance, especially if the family situation has not yet been clarified.

PKV should inform honestly and transparently about tariffs
While young, healthy insured persons, in particular, can save a great deal of money with private health insurance, there are almost no limits to the premium increases over the rest of their lives. The low-cost entry-level fares are continuously adapted to the health of those affected and become more expensive as they get older. Thus, according to the statement of the BdV even for healthy customers in the perspective of a lifetime does not ensure that the financial benefits of private health services outweigh. In view of the sometimes massive increases in contributions, the BdV urged private insurers to provide transparent and honest information about alternative tariffs. „Especially elderly insured often do not know these days, how to pay their renewed tariff increase“ and the private health insurance companies inform their more than eight million members „far from sufficient on existing exchange opportunities“, explained Rudnik. With the annually announced contribution adjustments, the private insured have the opportunity to switch to another cheaper insurance rate, so the chairman of the BdV.

Partial massive contribution increases in private health insurance
At the moment the federation of insured persons receives „an infinite number of letters“ insured persons who were notified of significant increases in contributions as of 1 January 2011. „Many surcharges are in the double-digit range, some at 33 or 35 percent“, said the BdV chairman Rudnik. One of the reasons for the wave of increase is that the health insurance balance sheets will be burdened by the low market rates, Rudnik continues. With the recommendation of many private health insurance companies to their financially overburdened members, simply to switch to the favorable base rate, the insured but not helped, so the position of the BdV. „Because the services there have nothing to do with what patients imagine under private medical protection“, emphasized Thorsten Rudnik. The basic tariffs were recently massively criticized, since the pension claims were in practice considerably worse than the statutory standard care. Thus, according to the BdV chairman for many private insured follows the painful insight: „Who wants to keep his comprehensive protection, especially in old age often finds no alternative to its expensive tariff.“ To save, the insured only the consideration of what benefits they may be able to do without. Therefore, should „nobody (...) simply switch due to a contribution advantage“, warned Thorsten Rudnik.

Better pension claim in private health insurance
Unique benefits are currently offered by private health insurance. The pension entitlements and the service are considerably better for the private insured than for the GKV. Private insurance companies have fewer waiting times at the doctor's and are entitled to additional benefits covered by the insurance, such as consultant services, single rooms in the hospital, exemption from co-payment for medication, reimbursement of dental treatment, new treatment procedures or non-medical practitioner visits. Here, the range of services of the GKV can not keep up, but also increase the contributions of private insurance with each additional covered performance. The more comprehensive the pension claim, the more expensive the private health insurance. In addition, also reimburse the PKV only „medically necessary“ Services, whereby the ideas about the need for patients and insurances are sometimes very different. Thus, Ombudsman Helmut Müller, responsible for the mediation between clients and private health insurance companies, stated: „The discussion about medical necessity is the most common complaint with us“, because „the insurance companies are looking more closely at the bills than they used to, and the customers are demanding more and more.“ Thus, the general presumption of a better service offer of private health insurance is no longer fully unrestricted. For some benefits, such as child sickness benefit, maternity allowance, home health insurance, reimbursement for psychotherapy and aids such as crutches, statutory health insurance schemes offer even better care entitlements than private health insurance. (Fp)

Also read:
FDP wants to strengthen private health insurance
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PKV introductory rates often offer less than the GKV
Private health insurance: Worth a change?
Save on private health insurance

Image: Benjamin Klack