And the wards raised the rates without asking for another opinion (Photo: ShutterStock)
Another increase in our monthly expenses: the supplementary insurances of the health funds become more expensive at a rate ranging from less weight to four and a half shekels per insured person, depending on the fund and his age.
Even in the funds where the rate increase is relatively small, when it comes to millions of insured people - the expected income for the supplemental plans is very significant.
3.7 million insured members are members of "Klelit's" perfect insurance, who will pay on average an additional 0.89 shekels per insured per month, the smallest increase among the health funds, but still: an additional income of close to NIS 40 million per fund.
In "Maccabi" the addition to the updated price will be between 0.83 shekels and 2.32 shekels, for the 2.2 million policyholders of the fund already starting this month, this also means tens of millions of shekels for the fund.
At Laumit, the premium will increase by 3.3-4.9 shekels for each of the half a million insured, and at United the change will be 0.47 - 5.30 shekels for its 930,000 insureds.
As mentioned, in the last few days the insured of the Shaban programs, the additional health services, or the "supplementary insurances" as they are known to most of us, have received text messages about the increase in rates. Some of the funds explain the increase in price due to the expansion of the basket of services, or the increase in the consumer price index, others depend on the general increase In the rates at all the ticket offices, which were made, miraculously, at once and with the approval of the Ministry of Health, although apparently, there should be competition between them.
The latest insurance regulation will actually greatly reduce the health fund payments for supplementary medical insurance, so why raise prices? (Photo: ShutterStock)
What does it have to do with Corona?
A source in one of them explained to "Walla" not to attribute it, because during the Corona period the public rarely used the supplementary insurance plans and then the rates dropped, because there was an excess of collection.
With the end of the epidemic, there was a significant increase in the consumption of services.
Since the health funds must not be in deficit, there was no escape from raising the rates, when the larger funds increased at a lower rate than the smaller ones, due to the size advantage.
This horizontal and puzzling rate increase is being carried out close to the entry into force of the new health reform, led by Moshe Barkat, the former commissioner of insurance and the capital market, at the beginning of next month, which should actually make it easier for the supplementary insurances, which are the first to which the insured turn, and not to the private insurance companies.
Among its other clauses, the private insurance companies will be charged with a "first payment obligation", that is, in the case of a claim for the purpose of analysis or consultation of supplementary insurance policyholders of the health funds who have private insurance at the same time, the private policy will be activated first, if there is one, and only then that of the health fund , which should reduce their heavy expenses.
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As long as we are healthy: for the insured it is an addition of a few shekels, for the health funds - excess profits of tens of millions (Photo: ShutterStock)
The responses of the health insurance funds
The
Leumit Health
Insurance Company responded: "In recent years, Leumit has significantly updated its Shaban (supplementary insurance) programs."
New areas of coverage were added (e.g. aesthetics) and entitlements were expanded (e.g. expansion of treatments in the field of child development, dental treatments and more).
These changes were made without additional premium.
In addition, there has been an increase in the number of surgeries that are performed while choosing a dose in Shaban. In light of all of the above, Leumit examined the financial implications together with the Ministry of Health and decided on a premium increase at a low rate of NIS 3.3 to NIS 4.9 for the insured."
From
the Leumit Health Insurance Fund
it was stated: "As in all funds, and according to the regulations of the Shaban, the rates are linked to the index and sometimes increase by dozens of pennies to a few shekels."
From
the Maccabi Health Insurance Fund
It was reported that: "The prices of the paying insurances are linked to the Consumer Price Index and like the other health insurance funds, this January the price was updated by only NIS 0.83-2.32, depending on the age group and the type of supplementary insurance.
"It should be emphasized that in the last four years there has been a significant discount between 20 and - 28 shekels per month at a price for all supplementary insurance policyholders and at the same time, Maccabi has significantly expanded entitlements and services in the past year in a variety of areas for its members, among others: the treatment package for cancer patients, the number of expert consultants in the arrangement in various fields of medicine, pregnancy and childbirth services, and more."
From
Klalit Hospital Fund
No response was given.
Of money
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Tags
health insurance
The health funds
Clalit Health Services
United Health Insurance Fund
Leumit Health Care Services
Maccabi Health Insurance Fund