Beware of PKV lock offers

Better changing conditions: Beware of PKV lock offers

07.03.2011

Since the beginning of the year, employees have been able to switch to private health insurance (PHI) much more easily. Many insurers offer low-cost entry-level tariffs. But just those tariffs can quickly become a cost trap.

In the course of health care reform, the change to private health insurance has been greatly simplified. Employees who exceed a fixed income limit of € 49,500 per annum (or € 4,125 gross per month) now have the option of private insurance rather than statutory retirement. The Association of Private Health Insurance (PKV) expects a slight change. Numerous private health insurance companies attract with so-called introductory premiums, which often amount to less than 100 euros per month. But just those low fares can turn out in retrospect quickly as a cost trap. The industry is focusing on young and healthy new customers, who are not worried about the future at the moment.

Many willing to change is not clear that cheap lock offers just do not apply for the entire contract period. Many are unaware that a return to the statutory health insurance after a change is no longer possible. Therefore, the Federation of Insured recently warned: „The step into private health insurance (PKV) is the beginning of a lifelong commitment. A return to the legal is for hardly anyone.“ Although at first glance a change in the private health insurance seems to be an advantage, because the contributions are cheap and the health benefits are better, but in the long run the disadvantages outweigh the disadvantages. „It threatens trouble if you only see the short-term savings and does not really know what the long-term consequences are“, explained the association chairman Thorsten Rudnik.

Partial massive contribution increases
The Confederation of insured receives almost daily numerous letters from private insured persons, some of which complain about massive contribution increases. „Many surcharges are in the double-digit range, some at 33 or 35 percent“, said the BdV chairman Rudnik. The older an insured person becomes, the higher the expenditure on benefits. In addition, expenditures on medicines, doctors' fees and new medical developments are rising across the whole of society. For interested parties it is not clear how long the advertised tariff already exists and how high the premium increases of recent years were. So before a tariff is concluded, potential new customers should insist on having the price trend of the tariff submitted. Also, the services offered should be carefully examined. Because many lock offers far less health services than the statutory health insurance.

No family reinsurance with the PKV
Anyone who nevertheless plays with the idea to migrate to the private, should be aware that social services offer in contrast to the statutory in the PKV do not exist. For example, children can not be insured for free, but each child must have a separate contract. Even non-working spouses can not be co-insured. In contrast to the statutory, the health insurance contributions are income-independent. This means that the contributions are based on the chosen tariff and not on income.

A change is therefore advisable only to those who wishes better services overall, such as chief physician treatment, alternative practitioners and naturopathy treatments as well as single occupancy in the hospital. The choice of the tariff should be decided after the service catalog and not necessarily after the contribution. (Sb)

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PKV basic rate: Doctors refuse treatment

Picture: Gerd Altmann