Numerous private health insurance plans to increase contributions for 2011

Increase in private health insurance rates: change could be worthwhile

Numerous private health insurance companies are planning premium increases for the coming year 2011
Numerous private health insurance companies (PKV) have announced premium increases for next year. Accordingly, the contributions of the privately insured will rise by up to ten percent. We show how insured persons can react to future increases in contributions.

Many private health insurance companies increase their contributions
As of next year, for example, private health insurances Debeka, DKV, Axa, Hallesche, Central, Landeskrankenhilfe, Süddeutsche, ARAG and Alte Oldenburger will increase premiums, with the range of premium adjustments in individual tariffs ranging between three and 10 percent. Although private insurers will benefit massively from the planned changes, such as the simplified switch between private health insurance and statutory health insurance, participation in drug rebates and the prohibition on supplementary health insurances in statutory health insurance, from the coming year as part of health care reform, they are in favor of additional premium income reliant. According to their own statement: to absorb the rising costs of health care.

Critics accuse the insurances here clear profit interests. Unlike in the statutory health insurance, the private health insurance companies can expand their collected contributions as required to compensate for the costs incurred, to the detriment of the insured. Thus, the excitement among the privately insured is often great when the letters arrive at the turn of the year with the announcement of the contribution increase.

Contribution increases between three and seven percent
This year, primarily customers of the above-mentioned private health insurance are affected, with the premium adjustment in the individual insurance policies are very different. For example, the Hallesche would like to levy three percent more contributions from its insured in certain tariffs and is therefore more reluctant in its demands. The contribution adjustments of the national health aid fall with about three percent moderate and the South German is also relatively modest with maximum premium adjustments of 3.7 percent. On the other hand, Debeka's insured persons (5 to 7 percent), DKV (6 to 7 percent) and ARAG, who each have premium adjustments of up to seven percent in their various tariffs, have to pay more. However, the hardest hit is the policyholders of the private health insurance Central and Alte Oldenburger. Both insurance companies demand up to ten percent more contributions from their customers in the various tariffs. Contribution adjustments are also planned at the Allianz, but are up to 0.5 percent in a rather negligible area. More about: PKV contribution increases of up to eight percent?

Which option do insured have??
For private health insurance customers, there are only a few options if they can not afford to increase premiums. You can file a complaint with your insurance company or the Ombudsman, which usually has no effect. Or they make use of their extraordinary right of termination and change the tariff. They can choose both in their old PKV a new, cheaper rate, as well as switch between the various private health insurance.

If those affected can not afford the new rate of contribution of their tariff and there is also no possibility to conclude a cheaper tariff, they receive from their previous insurance a so-called base tariff, the insurance coverage in this is according to recent media reports rather poor. A return to the legal insurance, however, is not possible. Thus, the privately insured are the annual contribution adjustments of private health insurance relatively helpless delivered, but it is worthwhile to check whether not another PKV offers possibly cheaper tariffs and if necessary to change. Because that is how the competition among the various private insurance companies is revived and the premium increases may be lower in the next few years. (fp, 29.11.2010)

Also read:
Replacement funds warn insured persons before PKV change
PKV should pay attention to inflation on retirement provision
PKV contribution increases of up to eight percent?
PKV Association sees no losses
PKV and children: change should be well considered

Picture credits: Margot Kessler