The country’s health insurance market is now dominated by four major private groups, which have 90 percent of the market. Dutch insurance companies competing components of the nominal price policies, the amount you may provide separately, and because they can achieve a profit, it is quite straightforward logic of the merger. The main motive is to attempt to achieve economies of scale.
In Germany, even in January 2003 there were 447 public health insurance, while the January of this year, according to the Federal Ministry of Health statistics, the number decreased to 201 Samo Ministry supports the merger.
In the Czech environment, with absolutely dominating VZP merger of two smaller regional insurance companies (steel health insurance and health insurance Agel, a total of 430 000 insured), and then another wide, again a small insurance ČNZP not significantly change the balance on the market, even in North Moravia . Real interference with the competitive environment in the region would be enhanced through the merger as follows HZP and fraternal District Treasury. Nothing of the sort, but is not.
Czech health insurance system is also significantly influenced funded expenditure management, including the limit on the internal operations of insurance companies, which is low in international comparison. In connection with protikrizovými by the Ministry of Health is to be further reduced, the small insurance company into a de facto merger driven.
As can be observed from the statement of merger critics, is, in fact, their main concern rather than the merger itself, but the emergence of “informal” vertically integrated entity linking employment, public health insurance to private healthcare chain Agel.
There is a precedent in Europe? One health insurance company in the Netherlands, has chosen business model, which resembles something like this – an acute care ward nasmlouvala with a limited number of hospitals. Thanks to the concentrated demand nasmlouvat proved a good price and the market is the cheapest.
In Germany, there is vertical integration in both the public pillar, where the insurance company Knappschaft has its own medical facilities and private health insurance, which should be a medical concern SANA owned insurance companies for many decades.
Principle as to whether the result is a good “value for money” for the insured. Achieve this fight against mergers and vertical integration, but the introduction of dvousložkového insurance, price competition, while preventing excessive market concentration and collection of raisins “in the form of healthy insured sophisticated redistribution.
Jul 09
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