PKV No contracts in pregnancy?

No PKV contracts for pregnant women?

12/04/2011

Pregnant women seem to have problems completing a private health insurance (PKV) tariff. This was reported by a current radio magazine of Deutschlandfunk. Many providers explicitly ask in their application for a present pregnancy. According to industry insiders, insurers may violate the Equal Treatment Act for insurance companies.

Many PKV providers exclude pregnant women
For pregnant women, the search for private health insurance could be difficult. Many private health insurance providers exclude the inclusion of pregnant women, according to media reports. This exclusion is not only immoral, but also violates the view of financial experts „Equal Treatment Act for Insurance“. It states that the "costs associated with pregnancy and motherhood should under no circumstances lead to different premiums and benefits". Therefore, the question of a present pregnancy alone could be legally questionable. At least that criticizes the Federal Association of Consumer Advocates (vzbv). The consumer advocate and expert Lars Gatschke said to the Deutschlandfunk: "In our opinion, such a question is not in accordance with the General Equal Treatment Act, because in our opinion this question does not refer to the pure costs of pregnancy but also to the question of conclusion. "

Applications with question about pregnancy
According to the insurance broker Ozan Sözeri from the online comparison portal „Widge.de“ could be followed by consequences for the applicant if the question of pregnancy present in the application form remains unanswered. Many providers refuse to submit an application if they have been pregnant for more than three months. According to this, many affected persons no longer have the opportunity to insure themselves privately from this point in time. In most cases, the private health insurance providers state that the costs of delivering the child are too high or that the child insurance would not be in line with the contract. If the person concerned already had one or two abortions, numerous insurance companies demand a so-called risk premium. That was unlawful, as the PKV expert Sözeri told the DLF. Because a miscarriage (miscarriage) is not a previous illness that allows such a risk premium. Pregnancy-related illnesses such as pregnancy depression or gestational diabetes are not considered to be pre-existing diseases. Obviously, those affected still have to pay higher contributions, some of which are more than ten percent higher than comparable premiums. Such a premium would have to be paid even for a lifetime. This is no longer a legal equal treatment, as the insurance expert rightly criticized.

PKV speaks of individual cases
The Federal Association of Private Health Insurance (PKV) speaks in this context of „individual cases“. A spokesman emphasized to Deutschlandfunk that men and women were treated according to the same rights and duties. The costs of pregnancy are usually taken over. However, providers must also allow pregnant women to health check, this is no exception.

Women should switch to PKV if possible before becoming pregnant, as independent insurance experts advise. If it is already too late, an intermediary could make an anonymous pre-requisition to question the premiums and conditions. Even less problems prepare the statutory health insurance. Here, there is sufficient health protection for mother and child, without the tariffs are raised, since the contributions are based on the income. (Sb)

Read on this topic:
Only a few changed to private health insurance
PKV introductory rates often offer less than the GKV
Acupuncture effective in pregnancy depression
Less migraine attacks in pregnancy
Eco-test: carcinogens in baby food

Picture: Kai Niemeyer