The leaders of the Russian voluntary health insurance market expect an increase in the voluntary health insurance loss ratio due to deferred demand, an increase in the cost of treatment per insured person and an increase in the level of medical inflation, writes ASN quoting the insurance broker GrECo International.

In August-September 2020, paid claims under voluntary health insurance (VHI) contracts increased by 30% y-o-y, based on the data of insurance companies. According to the Head of the personal insurance department of "GrECo International. Insurance brokers" Mikhail KUNIN, the deferred demand, and increasing number of requests due to seasonal diseases, including diagnostics of COVID, had an effect on the number of contracts.

In addition, the cost of medical services has increased - since June 2020, prices for dental services have increased by 15-20%, in polyclinics - by 12-15%, which is twice as high as the price increase in 2019. Also, as noted by KUNIN, there is a trend of growing average paid claim amount per one insured.

"In 2021, experts from insurance companies, which participated in the survey, expect an increase of losses due to the deferred demand, an increase in the cost of treatment per insured person and an increase in the level of medical inflation", explained KUNIN. The survey involved 5 of the 10 largest VHI insurers (based on 1H2020 market results) - SOGAZ, RESO-Garantia, AlfaStrakhovanie, INGOSSTRAKH and Alliance Life.