Appointment brokering makes health insurance companies more attractive

Analysis shows: Appointment mediation makes public health insurances more attractive for insured. Service can reduce waiting time for medical appointment: data from SBK service investigated.

With the mediation of medical appointments, statutory health insurance makes itself attractive for insured and are better off in the competition: 95 percent of those insured confirm this assessment. This is shown by an analysis of the Siemens Health Insurance SBK.

Are private health insurance companies more attractive because their insured people are supposed to get appointments with physicians faster and easier? No, even the opposite can be the case if public health insurers offer their customers good appointment service. For a corresponding analysis, the SBK evaluated more than 3,000 successful placements and then carried out a structured survey of 100 insured persons. Since the beginning of 2009 SBK offers a placement service for appointments with specialists.

According to the study, 95 percent of the insured are convinced that the placement of medical appointments makes a statutory health insurance more attractive. 96 percent would use an appointment service again at any time and as many insured would recommend this service to a good friend as a valid indicator of satisfaction. No wonder, because when asked what they noticed in the appointment service was particularly positive, almost two-thirds of the respondents spontaneously called the quick appointment, in second place ranked the fast processing of the appointment. 91 percent of the users were also satisfied or very satisfied with the service offered.

Insured give doctors good grades
Among other things, SBK is constantly examining the availability of free capacities for medical specialists. The doctors themselves can also benefit: 73 percent of the respondents surveyed gave the doctor to whom they were placed the grades 1 or 2. newly established practices build a solid patient base.

The SBK organizes appointments with specialists. Above all appointments with ophthalmologists, orthopedists and cardiologists are in demand among the insured. SBK's mediation teams sometimes halve the waiting time and can organize 50 percent of the appointments within 14 days. (pm, 03.11.2010)