At the end of September this year, over 2.8 million Poles had private health insurance, according to the latest data from the Polish Chamber of Insurance. The number of insured persons has increased by over 15% year on year. The most popular insurance is still one that provides quick access to specialist doctors and a wide range of diagnostic tests.
We spent almost PLN 640 million on private health insurance during three quarters of 2019. This is almost 9% more than the year before. ‘With such a growth dynamic, the number of insured persons will already exceed 3 million next year. This pace may increase even more. Everything depends on the direction of changes in the healthcare system’, said Dorota M. Fal, adviser to the Management Board of the Polish Chamber of Insurance.
Total healthcare expenditure in Poland is one of the lowest among developed countries. ‘We spend 6.3% of GDP on it, jointly from public and private funds, whereas the average for OECD countries is 8.8% of GDP’, commented Dorota M. Fal. ‘The low level of healthcare funding is the main cause of most problems of the Polish system. The introduction of additional health insurance on a massive scale could boost the efficiency of private spending and improve the healthcare situation of Poles’, she added.
The largest market share is invariably held by group insurance, financed or co-financed by employers. For employees, private healthcare is the most desirable non-wage benefit. In turn, employers are increasingly aware of the importance of workers’ health. According to CSO data from 2018, the average age of employees is increasing. Along with it, the probability of falling ill with a chronic disease increases. Additional health insurance with a narrow scope, offered as an additional contract for another policy, e.g. life insurance policy, is also becoming increasingly popular. In these cases, the premium is low, therefore the number of insured persons in Poland is growing faster than the premium.
