By Vangelis Dourakis

New “bomb” in the insurance market, where one overthrow succeeds the other: in the last 10 years more than 455,000 ‘Old’ Health Contracts with ‘Privileged’ terms for customers ‘Canceled’I call ‘Crazy’ increases that even touched the 200% and signed new with more ‘Favorable’ terms for companies. Now as everything shows, they re -change the “rules of the game” in their favor.

The top company in the industry is preparing surprises to its customers, which can be as pleasant. Reports indicate that this company – which is also a “guide” to the insurance markets – is changing the process of compensation for hospital care expenses, having already sent the letter to its customers.

Overturn to compensation for care

Holders of specific programs are obliged on the basis of that letter from June onwards fully pay off their hospitalization costsif they need to be entered and then submit the relevant supporting documents in order to… evaluate and then receive the amount of the compensation in their bank account.

This new logic adopted by this company is coming to overturn chronic practices of the insurance industry, as to date the companies of any hospital expenses are required for their customers.

As the letter promoted by the company, which comes to overturn the data to date, “After your hospitalization you will need to provide the Compensation Form as well as all the necessary medical documents and paid expense documents, that is, receipts to provide services. On the basis of the submitted documents, the audit will be carried out as soon as possible and you will receive your compensation by depositing your bank account ».

In other words, she clarifies to her clients how “You pay for any cost of your hospitalization and then … we see what we pay for you and when.”

Something of course in substance leaves ‘Naked’ the holders of the particular insurancewho if they do not have the money to cover their own hospital expenses should on one hand find a way to secure the amounts necessary and on the other to ‘Cut’ the benefits they might be able to enjoy If the company was simply paying directly – as it is today – and covered the costs for hospitalization.

The biggest fear now is whether other insurance companies will follow its example.

New pricing index for premiums

At the same time and with the backdrop of the exorbitant increases in previous years, changes in the structure and how to calculate the ratings in the insurance premiums New pricing index.

The index, drawn up by the ELSTAT in collaboration with the IOBEwill be based In the total cost of damages Of all the health insurance programs and not exclusively in life -long contracts, which, due to the high age of their holders, led to disproportionate increases in premiums.

The new methodology is aimed in a decrease in increasesas it will reflect the average of compensation in the insurance market and not just the high cost of care for older insured persons.

Consultations for the adoption of the index are carried out Under the auspices of the Ministry of Developmentin collaboration with insurance companies, with the aim of shaping an objective pricing tool that will take into account both the frequency of hospitals as well as the age distribution and compensation.

To date, the increases have been based solely on life -long programs that are no longer available on the market, which caused distortions, as the increased cost of compensation has disproportionately burdened an ever -decreasing number of insured persons.

Indicative is that lifetime contracts were reduced by 711,000 in 2011 to 255,000 in 2023, however 212 million euros in 2022 to 227 Million euros in 2023.