Health Insurance Private or Legal?

Consumers are unsettled by the health care reform: Better legally or privately insured?

(27.07.2010) The entry into the private health insurance is to be facilitated according to the will of the Federal Minister of Health Philipp Rösler for employees. But is the departure from the statutory health insurance fund actually cheaper? The consumer center Saxony tries to give answers.

It is the back and forth that unsettles the citizens. There is one and many against it. The decision is not easy for most people. After all, those who turn their backs on the statutory health insurance fund are almost always barred from returning home. A significant increase in demand in this context is also registered by the consumer centers. For example, Andrea Heyer of the consumer advice center of Saxony said: "We are seeing a significant increase in demand," says the financial expert. Many want to know whether they should remain in the future in the legal or in the private health insurance. But an increase in the contribution costs both variants are affected. If you want to switch to private health insurance because of cost savings, you may be disappointed, even if private individuals initially tempt you with good offers. Even private insurers increase their contributions in a growing regularity. Above all, this is a problem in old age or when the life circumstances of the insured person change. "Senior citizens are coming to us again and again, who do not know how to raise this money," explains the expert of the consumer center. But "there will be no return to the statutory health insurance." For retirees, the only option left is to reduce insurance benefits to minimize costs.

Therefore, the advice of the consumer center: Who still wants to switch to private health insurance and initially saves contributions, should invest the savings profitably at the bank. Later, the savings could pay off if the contributions of the private health insurance increases.

However, who wants to change due to the medical services, the health insurance, should be informed exactly and not immediately access the first offer, but the providers compare accordingly. After all, private health services are no longer taking on all medical services, as was the case ten years ago.

The comparison should pay close attention to what services are actually necessary for health. Because there are also benefits in the statutory health insurance, which are ignored by the private at all. The best example is the family insurance (the child or the unemployed partner are insured free of charge) or the parent-child cures. As a rule, no home nursing or home help is taken over, but under certain circumstances in the case of the legal.

If you want to know exactly, you can make an appointment with the Consumer Center. Here can be looked at independently and individually, which variant is the most meaningful for the person concerned. (Sb)

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