Health insurers profit from their well-educated clients
Friday 22 June 2012
Health insurance companies make an average €140 a year profit on their well-educated policyholders but can lose thousands of euros on those with chronic conditions, according to research by Erasmus University's health management unit.
The researchers calculate the 'average chronic condition' costs a health insurance company around €400 but this can mount up to thousands if the condition is serious and requires a lot of care or medicine, Trouw quotes the institute as saying.
Insurance companies can claim compensation for their unhealthy patients from a special government fund, but that is being reduced in size.
Patient organisations therefore fear insurance companies may begin to target healthier clients, undermining the current single-tier system. They want the government to amend the rules to make sure everyone is treated the same.
Insurance companies are required by law to accept everyone for the basic health package but can introduce health checks and other barriers for top-up policies.
Should unhealthy people pay more for their care? Have your say in the comment box below.
© DutchNews.nl
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It is a slippery slope to an American styled health insurance program. Take a lesson and deal with things like smoking and obesity early on...otherwise it will all be out of hand in ten years.
By Helen | 22 June 2012 4:57 PMWell, I have a long-term serious condition mainly caused by prescribed synthetic drugs for neuropathic pain relief after road traffic accident and CZ (the only insurer I'm allowed to have) refuses to pay for anything I actually need. So I am clear profit for them.
By Gerard | 22 June 2012 5:11 PMGerard, I'm curious why you feel you can't change insurer? My husband has a very similar (longterm and cannot recover) situation to you but is with a different insurer, and all his pain relief is fully met by them. I'm aware that you're locked into a policy for a year, but everyone can change to a different insurer in Nov/Dec each year (see Kiesbeter.nl)
By osita | 22 June 2012 7:41 PM@ Gerard: http://www.emaxhealth.com/1275/marijuana-relieves-chronic-neuropathic-pain
By The visitor | 22 June 2012 8:00 PMhttp://www.reuters.com/article/2008/04/30/us-pot-pain-idUSCOL06897020080430
(Hope this is helpful.)
Certainly, unhealthy people should pay more for their care, at least for the medicines if not for the consultations. We are not living in a communist regime!
By GGG | 23 June 2012 6:23 AMHow does "well-educated" fit into this topic? Should this term not be replaced with "healthy"?
By Paul | 23 June 2012 12:34 PM@Gerard: That's terrible, I'm sorry :( How DARE you get in an accident, am I right? Ugh...
By Stupid | 23 June 2012 9:23 PM"An average profit of 140 Euros per year" - they're making thousands from me! The combination of my own policy fees and the employer contribution I have to make due to being self-employed adds up to 3,400 Euros.
I very rarely use healthcare services and the last time I did the doctor just shrugged and said he had no idea what was causing my problem. (I later discovered it was stress, probably from worrying about having enough money to pay for healthcare insurance).
OK, I have to count my blessings for being in good health. At the same time it's impossible not to resent the unbalanced contribution I make to the system.
By Health freak | 25 June 2012 5:34 PM@ GGG: I really hope you are going to be in need of healthcare and medicines. Let's see how you'll feel when what you need to survive is denied to you.
By joanna | 26 June 2012 8:20 AMWhat a disturbing and selfish comment.