An increase which affects the purchasing power of households, already undermined by the tense inflationary context.
The prices of mutual, insurance and other complementary health insurance have jumped by more than 7% in 2023 compared to 2022, said Wednesday the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir, which denounces a “blow on purchasing power“. “Contributions are soaring“: like every year, the UFC-Que Choisir conducted its survey on the prices of complementary health. A study focused on individual contracts, which therefore reflects the situation of retirees more than that of active workers.
Based on “594 contracts covering 128 organizations», the study concludes to «a median increase of 7.1%” that is “126 euros over the year“. In one out of five cases, the increase even exceeds 240 euros. Amounts qualified asblow on the purchasing power of consumers“, whereas “inflation is skyrocketingand stood at 5.2% last year, the association said in a statement.
The trend appears more marked among insurers (+9%) and provident institutions (+8.8%) than among mutuals (+6.9%). This last figure is, however, significantly higher than the 4.1% announced by the French mutual insurance company at the beginning of January for the same individual contracts, based on data provided by 35 organizations covering 18 million policyholders. A difference which is partly explained by different calculation methods, Mutuality comparing rates at constant age, when UFC-Que Choisir takes into account the increase “applied according to the age of the insured” that is “1% to 2% per year“.
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However, the association points the finger at the “lack of clarity» complementary health insurance, whose expiry notices often fail to «mention(s) the price increase in euros or in percentage“, as well as “agency management fees», which represent on average 20% of the contributions paid. To remedy this, sheasks the government to impose more transparencyso that consumers cancompare offers (and) compete via termination at any timeentry into force at the end of 2020.