Friday, July 17, 2009
[IWS] PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE in the EUROPEAN UNION [online 16 July 2009]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
European Commission (EC)
Private health insurance in the European Union [online 16 July 2009]
Final report prepared for the European Commission, Directorate
General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
Sarah Thomson and Elias Mossialos
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=559&furtherNews=yes
or
http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=3211&langId=en
[full-text, 333 pages]
Executive Summary
http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=3210&langId=en
[full-text, 9 pages]
The European Commission has published a report providing an overview and analysis of markets for private health insurance (PHI) in the European Union (EU).
Part 1 reviews market role, size, structure and conduct and public policy towards PHI. Part 2 focuses on the impact of EU law on public policy towards PHI. Part 3 examines the policy implications of PHI. It looks at the impact of PHI on health policy objectives within the market and on the wider health system. It also discusses barriers to market development and public debate about the current and future role of PHI.
Table of contents
Acknowledgements......................................................................................................... 1
List of figures.................................................................................................................. 2
List of tables.................................................................................................................... 3
List of abbreviations ...................................................................................................... 4
Executive summary........................................................................................................ 6
Introduction.................................................................................................................. 11
Part 1 Markets for private health insurance in the European Union ..................... 12
Market role..................................................................................................................... 13
What is private health insurance? .......................................................................... 13
What role does private health insurance play in EU health systems? ................... 13
Market size..................................................................................................................... 20
Contribution to health care finance........................................................................ 20
Levels of population coverage ................................................................................ 27
Levels of premium income ...................................................................................... 28
Market structure ............................................................................................................. 29
What drives demand for private health insurance?................................................ 29
Who buys private health insurance? ...................................................................... 30
Who sells private health insurance?....................................................................... 36
Market concentration.............................................................................................. 39
Market conduct............................................................................................................... 41
Policy conditions .................................................................................................... 41
Premiums ................................................................................................................ 42
Benefits ................................................................................................................... 50
Consumer choice and information ......................................................................... 52
Purchasing.............................................................................................................. 57
Insurer costs and profits ......................................................................................... 62
Public policy .................................................................................................................. 65
Regulation............................................................................................................... 65
Fiscal policy ........................................................................................................... 71
Part 2 EU law and public policy towards private health insurance........................ 75
Regulation and the Third Non-Life Insurance Directive ............................................... 76
Implications for government intervention in health insurance markets......................... 79
When can governments intervene? ......................................................................... 80
How can governments intervene?........................................................................... 84
Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 94
Part 3 The policy implications of private health insurance ..................................... 98
Framework for analysis.................................................................................................. 99
Implications within the PHI market ............................................................................. 101
Implications for the wider health system ..................................................................... 106
Market development and public debate ....................................................................... 124
Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 130
References ................................................................................................................... 132
Appendix A Note on methods ................................................................................... 143
Appendix B Contributor details ............................................................................... 145
Appendix C Country reports .................................................................................... 148
Belgium........................................................................................................................ 148
The Czech Republic ..................................................................................................... 160
Denmark....................................................................................................................... 168
France.......................................................................................................................... 179
Germany....................................................................................................................... 195
Hungary........................................................................................................................ 206
Ireland .......................................................................................................................... 215
Italy .............................................................................................................................. 226
Latvia ........................................................................................................................... 256
The Netherlands ........................................................................................................... 261
Poland.......................................................................................................................... 278
Romania ....................................................................................................................... 289
Slovenia....................................................................................................................... 295
Spain............................................................................................................................ 309
The United Kingdom ................................................................................................... 315
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
European Commission (EC)
Private health insurance in the European Union [online 16 July 2009]
Final report prepared for the European Commission, Directorate
General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
Sarah Thomson and Elias Mossialos
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=559&furtherNews=yes
or
http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=3211&langId=en
[full-text, 333 pages]
Executive Summary
http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=3210&langId=en
[full-text, 9 pages]
The European Commission has published a report providing an overview and analysis of markets for private health insurance (PHI) in the European Union (EU).
Part 1 reviews market role, size, structure and conduct and public policy towards PHI. Part 2 focuses on the impact of EU law on public policy towards PHI. Part 3 examines the policy implications of PHI. It looks at the impact of PHI on health policy objectives within the market and on the wider health system. It also discusses barriers to market development and public debate about the current and future role of PHI.
Table of contents
Acknowledgements......................................................................................................... 1
List of figures.................................................................................................................. 2
List of tables.................................................................................................................... 3
List of abbreviations ...................................................................................................... 4
Executive summary........................................................................................................ 6
Introduction.................................................................................................................. 11
Part 1 Markets for private health insurance in the European Union ..................... 12
Market role..................................................................................................................... 13
What is private health insurance? .......................................................................... 13
What role does private health insurance play in EU health systems? ................... 13
Market size..................................................................................................................... 20
Contribution to health care finance........................................................................ 20
Levels of population coverage ................................................................................ 27
Levels of premium income ...................................................................................... 28
Market structure ............................................................................................................. 29
What drives demand for private health insurance?................................................ 29
Who buys private health insurance? ...................................................................... 30
Who sells private health insurance?....................................................................... 36
Market concentration.............................................................................................. 39
Market conduct............................................................................................................... 41
Policy conditions .................................................................................................... 41
Premiums ................................................................................................................ 42
Benefits ................................................................................................................... 50
Consumer choice and information ......................................................................... 52
Purchasing.............................................................................................................. 57
Insurer costs and profits ......................................................................................... 62
Public policy .................................................................................................................. 65
Regulation............................................................................................................... 65
Fiscal policy ........................................................................................................... 71
Part 2 EU law and public policy towards private health insurance........................ 75
Regulation and the Third Non-Life Insurance Directive ............................................... 76
Implications for government intervention in health insurance markets......................... 79
When can governments intervene? ......................................................................... 80
How can governments intervene?........................................................................... 84
Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 94
Part 3 The policy implications of private health insurance ..................................... 98
Framework for analysis.................................................................................................. 99
Implications within the PHI market ............................................................................. 101
Implications for the wider health system ..................................................................... 106
Market development and public debate ....................................................................... 124
Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 130
References ................................................................................................................... 132
Appendix A Note on methods ................................................................................... 143
Appendix B Contributor details ............................................................................... 145
Appendix C Country reports .................................................................................... 148
Belgium........................................................................................................................ 148
The Czech Republic ..................................................................................................... 160
Denmark....................................................................................................................... 168
France.......................................................................................................................... 179
Germany....................................................................................................................... 195
Hungary........................................................................................................................ 206
Ireland .......................................................................................................................... 215
Italy .............................................................................................................................. 226
Latvia ........................................................................................................................... 256
The Netherlands ........................................................................................................... 261
Poland.......................................................................................................................... 278
Romania ....................................................................................................................... 289
Slovenia....................................................................................................................... 295
Spain............................................................................................................................ 309
The United Kingdom ................................................................................................... 315
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 1:21 PM
