Increase in hospital costs: Doctors criticise the hypocrisy of health insurers

Increase in hospital costs: Doctors criticise the hypocrisy of health insurers

Health insurers know all about the increase in additional fees for private rooms, says Doctor’s Union Absym. Health insurers are only against increasing additional fees for patients in shared rooms because they want to keep their hospital insurance profitable, the Union says.

On Monday, insurer Solidaris published figures that showed hospital bills went from 461 in 2015 to 478 euros in 2016. This increase is mainly due to the additional fees for individual rooms: on average, a stay in a private room costs seven times more than a shared or double room.

“Health insurers once again fighting higher fees for individual rooms is hypocritical. Their aim is the same as before: keep their hospital insurances profitable. In their hospital insurance policies, Health insurers say they only reimburse 100% of the additional fees for a private room, but forget to tell their customers”, Absym said in a press release issued on Friday.

Hospitals are dealing with public under-funding and have been forced to look for new resources. “Their survival strategy is predictable: incite Doctors to ask patients in individual rooms for more money”. “Sometimes, hospitals decide to increase their fees without talking to Doctors. These hospitals then apply the increase”.

The union also highlighted the lack of management in Brussels and Walloon hospitals. The additional fees in these hospitals are the highest, but specialists for example, are paid less than in Flanders. Abysm is not happy about when Solidaris’ figures were published, as there will be another meeting about the medico-insurer agreement on Monday evening.

(Source: Belga)


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