PKV providers announce contribution increases

Four PKV insurance companies have announced premium increases for the coming year

08/06/2012

Private insured persons must be prepared for further contributions in the coming year. For example, the Gothaer or the Hallesche are planning premium adjustments in some tariffs in the double-digit range. Central has announced that it will increase private patient participation to a greater extent. Most providers are silent, however, so as not to damage the image. According to the online magazine "Versicherungsjournal", only four providers have announced price increases for 2013 at the present time. PKV insured persons, however, must expect a total increase in premiums for next year.

Contributions increase in the double-digit range
Almost every year insured persons of the private health insurance (PKV) have to reckon with higher contributions. The first insurers have already published the first key figures for the contribution development for the coming year 2013. Some providers have already announced that they are increasing double-digit tariff contributions. According to unconfirmed information, the Hallesch increases the tariffs for men between 4 and 12 percent. However, the women's tariffs should not rise and in some cases even decline, as the insurance broker Sven Hennig reported on his blog. According to the expert, however, some tariffs are to be massively affected by increases. For example, the Hallesche apparently wants the „Tariff NK“ increase by up to 65 percent.

Increase of the excess
In addition to the „Halle“ also plan the „Central“ Adjustments to some tariffs. Contributions should increase by up to nine percent. Because the expenditure side for health services is always higher, the Cologne insurance additionally plans an increase of the excess of the policyholder by up to 23 percent. If the figures are extrapolated, the excess of a customer in some tariffs increases on average by 150 euros.

The Gothaer will not get along without contributions, according to the insurance experts, as the expert Hans Jung reported. Here, the contributions for men and women should rise between two and six percent. The hardest hit is the tariff „MediVita Z 90“ his. Men will have to pay up to 29 percent more from 2013, Jung predicts.

Almost all private health insurance companies will make contribution increases
Observers in the insurance industry expect that many more private funds will adjust their tariffs. So far, not all PKV providers have published their forecasts. Most insurers are reluctant to increase because they are a sign of poor contribution stability for new customers. Therefore have „Axa“ and the „alliance“ already announced that she „in some tariffs“ from stable contributions. This is followed by the Barmenina. Barmenia CEO Josef Beutelmann said in March of this year that he sees it „not bad, that many trigger factors for contribution adjustments will not start“.

„It is striking that so far no private insurer gives a price guarantee for the coming year“, as Heiner Schmitz, insurance expert from Hannover, explained. Schmitz, however, assumes that companies are well aware of what adjustments must be made in pricing. But because increases are unpopular and spoil the new customer business, most insurance companies keep their numbers a secret, although calculations have long been made for the coming year.

Only in 2012 massive tariff increases
At the turn of 2011/2012, the industry had caused a great stir. Some insurance companies had to increase their private health insurance rates by up to 60 percent. As reasons called the top federation of the private health insurance the multiplicity of „non-payers“, Demographic change and new innovations in the medical market. In addition, the low-cost new entry-level fares had to be raised significantly, because otherwise a supply in old age would not be guaranteed.

In the course of the debate, many politicians called for the introduction of a civil insurance. Consumer advocates demanded an immediate reform of the private health insurance, because more and more private patients would complain about increasing contributions. Also the CDU health expert Jens Spahn had spoken out for the abolition of private health insurance. (Sb)

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Health insurance: What changes 2016351a2cc0b08c03> Image: Benjamin Klack