Growing Numbers of People Seek Private Healthcare, Survey Reveals

Although Hungarians would like to save money on their healthcare costs, they cannot. An increasing number of people feel they are being squeezed out of the public health system and are turning to private health care, reveals a survey of more than 11,000 people by Prémium Egészségpénztár and NN Biztosító. Respondents tended to spend more on private care, with 54 percent spending more on medicines and 73 percent on dental treatment.

The flow to private doctors is increasing, which is a considerable financial burden, writes Világgazdaság. 40 percent of those surveyed said that they would have been forced to give up important benefits without health insurance membership.

Members were asked how economic changes in the past year have affected or changed their health care spending.

One third of respondents feel that their lives are worse than last year, compared to 40 percent last year.

However, the majority of people can no longer or no longer want to save on their healthcare expenditure. In addition, an increasing number of people feel they are being squeezed out of public care or no longer have easy access to it.

Last year 54 percent, but by 2024 64 percent of respondents feel they are drifting towards private care, which is placing a heavy burden on patients.

While many would like to avoid spending on private doctors, they cannot:

the majority of respondents said they are forced to choose private care more and more often.

Last year, 30 percent of survey respondents stressed that they could not afford private doctors and preferred to seek public care, but this year this figure has fallen to 20 percent. Unfortunately, there may also be many who are essentially without care.

While a third of respondents cut back on private medical care a year ago, about a quarter (23 percent) have done so this year. In fact, not only did the majority not cut back, but 44 percent spent more overall on private care, 54 percent on medicines and 73 percent on dental care. 41 percent of respondents noted that they could save practically nothing.

Regardless of their financial background, 34 percent of respondents now spend more on their health, a very surprising figure in a context of stagnating or mostly deteriorating livelihoods.

82 percent of health insurance members said that being a member helps them to stay healthy because they can benefit from a tax rebate of up to HUF 150,000 (EUR 380) per year, and 37 percent were able to use a service solely because they could finance it from their health insurance. The results of the survey are not surprising:

• almost 75 percent of members think that the threshold for state tax rebates for health insurance services should be raised,
• and 88 percent of respondents would also like their employer to pay into their health insurance account in the same way as the SZÉP card (the most popular fringe benefit in Hungary).

Via Világgazdaság; Featured image via Facebook/Dr. Rose Magánkórház – Dr. Rose Private Hospital