Just Released: "The Private Health Insurance Market in Europe"

June 10, 2010 - PRLog -- The dynamics of healthcare funding in Europe is changing.  As governments review their options to meet growing healthcare demands with limited resources, the potential to combine cost reduction with new funding sources will gain support in many countries. Reimbursement decisions in the public sector are becoming increasingly tougher for pharmaceutical and diagnostic manufacturers; the private market offers a potential alternative route to gaining market access.
Private insurers currently play differing roles in European national healthcare systems. This report reviews their role in the major European markets and provides an insight into trends in their coverage of health benefits and products. It highlights selected product areas where private insurance could fill the gaps in public reimbursement . An insight into the European private insurance industry, including overall trends and profiles of leading insurers,  provides an indication of future developments within the sector and highlights potential opportunities for pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies to work with private insurers.

Key features of this report

*  Reviews healthcare systems and the role of private insurers in the five major European markets of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
*  Analyzes the healthcare systems in the Netherlands and Switzerland, where mandatory health insurance is purchased from private insurers operating in regulated competitive models. These have parallels with the State of Massachusetts' system, which has been considered a blueprint for other US states and for federal reform.
*  Examines some of the issues in gaining market access for pharmaceuticals and diagnostics   through coverage by private health insurers and highlights initiatives being undertaken by insurers that present potential partnership opportunities for companies.  
*  Details trends in the private health insurance market, including relative market shares for the main markets in terms of benefits paid for by private insurers.

Scope of this report

* Understand the diverse roles played by private insurance in funding pharmaceutical and diagnostic products in major European markets and the relative importance of private funds in healthcare spending.
* Identify the key players in each market who will be potential targets for gaining market access in the privately-funded sector.
* Review what new opportunities might be afforded in the private sector for products that are denied reimbursement in the public sector.
* Tailor product portfolios to meet differing needs of individual markets.

Key Market Issues

* The function of private health insurance depends on coverage provided by national public healthcare systems. Understanding which type of  private health insurance  -  substitutive/primary, complementary/supplementary or duplicative/competitive - is dominant in each market is key to assessing market potential.  
* Gaining reimbursement for medical diagnostic products and treatments in the public sector is becoming increasingly challenging in many countries as the cost and medical necessity of certain products are coming under closer scrutiny by public payors. Some private insurers are showing interest in covering medicines for minor ailments and lifestyle products that are excluded from public reimbursement.
* Managing costs is a challenge for private insurers in the current economic climate as medical inflation and price competition in the industry create additional pressures. Insurers are adapting their portfolios to address market needs, with a focus on disease prevention and promotion of healthy lifestyles.

Key findings from this report

* There are over 84 million Europeans with some form of private health insurance. Germans account for the largest proportion of the privately insured population, with 22.3 million, followed by the Dutch with 16.2 million.
* Healthcare benefits paid by private insurers account for 8% of total European healthcare expenditure, a share that is on course to increase as public payors redefine their benefits package.
* The cost of medicines accounts for a significant proportion of private insurers' costs in most markets. Around 93% of the French population has complementary health insurance to cover costs not reimbursed by the social health insurance system, with 30% of insurers' costs going towards the cost of medicines.
* Private insurers provide comprehensive health cover to 10.5% of Germans and almost all the population of the Netherlands and Switzerland. Voluntary insurance also plays a significant role in these markets to complement and supplement  the statutory benefit package.
* France has the highest density of private health insurers at 893, whereas the industry is concentrated among relatively few players in most other markets  - there are 46 insurers in Germany, 30 in the Netherlands and 27 in the UK.  

Key questions answered

* How many Europeans have private health insurance and why do they purchase private cover?
* What proportion of healthcare costs are paid for by private insurers in the major European markets?
* How influenced are private insurers by public health pharmaceutical reimbursement decisions?
* Who are the major movers and shakers in the European private health insurance market?  
* What initiatives are underway by insurers to cover pharmaceutical products not reimbursed by national healthcare systems?
* What role do private insurers play in public-private partnerships?

For more information or to purchase this report, go to:
-  http://www.fastmr.com/prod/67563_the_private_health_insur...

About Business Insights

Business Insights appreciate the importance of accurate, up-to-date incisive market and company analysis and their aim therefore is to provide a single, off-the-shelf, objective source of data, analysis and market insight. Business Insights work in association with leading industry experts to produce a range of reports across a wide range of industry sectors.  By working in association with so many experts they are able to provide clients with more incisive market analysis specific to the client's industry sector. No other market analysis company provides such focused and trusted market analysis, across such a wide range of industry sectors.  View more research from Business Insights at http://www.fastmr.com/catalog/publishers.aspx?pubid=1003

About Fast Market Research

Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. We represent the world's top research publishers and analysts and provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available.

For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at http://www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.