In Q1 2016, we spent PLN 135 million on private health insurance. According to the data collected by the Polish Insurance Association, this is 18% more than last year.
The number of policyholders in Q1 2016 increased YoY by 31% to 1.57 million. In Poland, private health insurance is usually purchased by employers for their employees or it is purchased by the employees themselves under a group insurance policy. – As regards individual insurances, their considerable part are additional contracts to the protective life insurance. An interesting phenomenon is observed in the non-life insurance market in regard to individual policies. We can see a growing number of contracts with a high average premiums (over PLN 1,000 per year). It means that the number of people who very consciously select private health protection with a wide scope of services is increasing – says Dorota M. Fal, adviser to the Management Board of PIU for health insurance.
Development of private health insurance depends to a great extent on the law in force in Poland and the shape of the overall health care system. – We can be sure that under the current system, the private market will be developing, because people value comfort which the public system does not give. However, without the legislator’s initiative and the introduction of the relevant legal regulations, the private market will still remain a niche – adds Dorota M. Fal.