Finance minister: Companies selling medical insurance shouldn’t be allowed to also provide medical services

Newsroom 26/11/2018 | 15:31

Companies selling medical insurance or subscriptions as well as medical services could be required to stop one of these activities, said Finance minister Eugen Teodorovici on Monday.

“Those who provide insurance plans, in healthcare for example, can’t also provide the services. We must separate these two areas. They can opt for one or the other. It’s not because I want it – it’s a principle. If you sell insurance, how can you also provide the service?” the minister said.

“You’ve seen it in the auto sector: does the insurer come to fix my car? That doesn’t work, because there’s a conflict of interest between the two,” he added.

Teodorovici said that the first talks should be carried out with the Health Ministry, then with companies and the Financial Supervision Authority.

He also stated that all the healthcare programs should be revisited: “There are 28 healthcare programs between the Insurance House and the Ministry. The way they’re put together today should be radically changed, meaning the same template should be used for all the programs.”