New study Private insured are less likely to go to the doctor

Privately insured are less often at the doctor - students more often
According to a new study members of private health insurance companies go to the doctor less often than legally insured. The study also showed that students and the unemployed could be examined much more often than full-time employees within twelve months.
Private insured less often at the doctor
It has recently been reported that private patients are preferred when appointing specialists. Cash patients have to wait on average 23 days longer than members of private health insurance. Nevertheless, according to a new study, those who are privately insured go to the doctor less often than members of statutory health insurance companies. According to the study, insured persons on average could be examined 6.1 times per year, whereas private insured persons only 4.6 times. This results from an Infas study for the top federation of the legal health insurance companies (GKV) out, over which the "Bild" newspaper on Thursday reported.

PKV insured are less likely to go to the doctor. Image: © stockWERK - fotolia

Unemployed and students can be examined more often
GKV spokesman Florian Lanz told the newspaper: "While the statutory health insurance funds take care of each other in solidarity, private health insurance companies like to take on healthy people." However, other reasons could also play a role. For example, a survey some two years ago revealed that privately insured people are less ill. Among other things, the results were explained by the fact that "people who are privately insured are better off and feel healthier." According to the latest study, full-time employees are the least likely to go to the doctor on average four times a year. Unemployed people were much more likely to be examined compared to the working population. On average, they went to the doctor ten times a year. Students visited 8.5 times a doctor within twelve months and pensioners on average 7.2 times. (Ad)