Private health insurance for pensioners too expensive

Every second pensioner complains, according to a scientific AOK survey, the rising costs of private health insurance.

22/10/2012

Every second pensioner is the private health insurance (PKV) too expensive. This resulted in a survey study of the Scientific Institute (WIdO) of the general local health insurance funds (AOK). Because the costs are no longer sustainable, every second senior changed the PKV tariff in the current and last year or accepted fewer health services.

Even retired civil servants are increasingly in financial distress, according to the study results. One in three retirees surveyed had changed their tariffs or increased the cost of sales in order to reduce their premium payments. Overall, according to the AOK survey „29.2 percent of private insured in different ways to reduce the cost of health insurance“. For the representative study, 1000 randomly and legally insured persons were interviewed. In origin, the two different systems should be compared in terms of costs and benefits. According to the data collection, more than half of respondents (54 percent) „the abolition of private health insurance“.

PKV doubts the validity of the data
The national association of the private health insurance (PKV) doubts according to own data at the meaningfulness of the study. The published data for „alleged tariff change and the changed deductibles are far from the reality in the specific customer care of private insurance companies, "said the spokesman of the Association of insurers, Stefan Reker.The survey rather indicates that most respondents „highly satisfied with the dual system of statutory and private health insurance“ are.

Left calls for abolition of private health insurance
The party „The left“ sees itself, however, in its demand for the abolition of the dual health system confirmed and renewed its demand for the abolition of private health insurance. Instead, one should „Citizen insurance for all“ be installed. „For older people, private health insurance becomes a risk of poverty“, stressed Harald Weinberg, health expert of the Left in the German Bundestag. „The error is in the system: in old age, private health insurance premiums increase, while most retire employees receive less income. I get dozens of e-mails and letters from people who at some point made the mistake of switching to private health insurance and now have to spend a large part of their meager pensions on contributions.“

In recent years, the tariff contributions have risen sharply and this year, many providers have already announced that individual tariffs again adjusted by up to 30 percent. (Sb)

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Picture: Rike