The financial importance of private insured individuals to the healthcare system is growing. According to an unpublished study by the Association of Private Health Insurance (PKV), which was reported by the “Rheinische Post” on Tuesday, private insured individuals only make up 10.4% of the total population, but they contribute 21.4% to the financing of ambulatory medical care. Last year, the percentage was only 20.4%.
According to Thomas Brahm, the president of the PKV Association, “Private health insurance (PKV) provides each doctor’s office an additional 73,000 euros per year that would otherwise be lost.” This money enables better personnel and technical equipment for doctor’s offices, benefiting all patients.
The financial contribution of private insured individuals is also high in other areas, as the numbers for 2023 show: In dental care, the financing share of private insured individuals is even at 22.6% and for medicines, it is 13.1%. The study also reveals that the increased turnover of private insured individuals is significantly higher than last year and now amounts to 14.46 billion euros, which is an increase of 1.8 billion euros or 14.2% compared to the previous year.
The increased turnover is due to higher fees for private patients for the same service compared to the statutory health insurance (GKV) and because there is less regulation and budgets in this area.