Health insurance advice & service rarely good

Consulting services and service of many health insurance companies with significant weaknesses

05/16/2014

Only a few of the large health insurance companies offer one „quality“ Service and consulting quality, so the result of a recent investigation of the Stiftung Warentest. Almost three quarters of the tested health insurance companies only achieved the grade „satisfying“. Also in terms of voluntary benefits, the Stiftung Warentest shows in its online product finder between the 84 considered health insurance some significant differences.

The Stiftung Warentest offers with the product finder an overview of the services of 84 health insurance companies, on the basis of which consumers can orientate themselves in the search for a health insurance. The assessment also takes into account previous test results and shows, among other things, which voluntary benefits the various insurance companies provide. In addition, the service and consulting quality of the twenty largest health insurance companies will be examined in a separate test.

Only six health insurance companies with good service and advice
In the current „Test of advice, service and online information offered“ According to Stiftung Warentest, the top 20 health insurance funds (covering 80 percent of insured persons) were only able to score six health insurances with good service and consulting quality: Techniker Krankenkassen (grade 2.1), AOK Niedersachsen (grade 2.4 ), the KKH (grade 2.4), the Knappschaft (grade 2.4), the AOK Rheinland / Hamburg (2.5) and the BKK Mobil Oil (2.5). Test customers had written on behalf of the Stiftung Warentest with various questions in writing to the health insurance companies, obtained telephone information and evaluated the Internet offers of health insurance.

Deficiencies in medical advice
On the part of the testers, there were multiple criticisms, in particular weaknesses in the medical consultations and delays in answering the questions were criticized. The consultants on the phone, for example, had increasingly tried to provide information on the medical issues themselves, instead of referring to the medical hotline. In addition, every third email was not answered after 24 hours. For many health insurance companies, the testers had to ask for all, possibly also relevant, further offers. Hints from the consultants were not made here. As test winner showed the Techniker health insurance, meanwhile, how an exemplary advice should look like. The customers received timely - both by email and by telephone - comprehensive information on the various issues and the cashier provides a very good information on the Internet. In terms of the Internet offer, the testers had at the examined health insurance companies, however, little to complain about anything. 18 of the 20 health insurances tested received the grade here „very well“ or „Well“.

Information on voluntary benefits of health insurance companies
The product finder of Stiftung Warentest also provides information about which health insurance companies are the right ones for alternative health care methods. For example, more and more health insurances subsidize osteopathic treatment, according to the Stiftung Warentest. For example, many health insurances would take over 80 percent of the costs, but limit the costs to six times 60 euros a year. The reimbursement of alternative medicines is quite different in the health insurance. Only a short time, some statutory health insurance would „Costs for alternative medicines up to a certain limit - usually around 100 euros per year“ take over, reports the Stiftung Warentest. However, this is only on the condition that a doctor prescribes the funds, these pharmacies are required and are not on the negative list of the Joint Federal Committee. To date, patients had to pay homeopathic remedies such as globules in general out of their own pocket. (Fp)