The exorbitant and arbitrary increases in lifetime hospital insurance policies caused by the delay in implementing the new premium calculation index, leaving thousands of policyholders exposed to opaque and abusive practices by insurance companies, are highlighted by Milena Apostolaki in her Urgent Question to the Minister of Development, Mr. Takis Theodorikakos.
The PASOK MP points out that, despite the abolition of the controversial IOBE index, the government has failed to establish a clear, transparent, and effective framework for the protection of policyholders. As highlighted in the question, insurance companies are already proceeding with new increases of 9.5% and 13% on lifetime hospital insurance policies, even citing the new adjustment index—which, however, has not even been published yet.
In this way, it is obvious that they are seeking to force policyholders to abandon lifetime insurance policies and steer them toward annually renewable contracts, in which they have reserved the right to set premiums each year, without restriction, premium rates. Furthermore, the invocation of the new index, as Milena Apostolaki notes “raises serious questions of legality and transparency while exacerbating the financial strain on thousands of policyholders, particularly older individuals, who are no longer able to meet the cost of maintaining their insurance coverage.”
At the same time, he criticizes the government for failing to adopt a PASOK amendment, which provided for specific criteria for a reliable index as well as safeguards until the full implementation of the new framework. Instead, she notes, “it chose to rely on vague‘commitments’from insurance companies, allowing arbitrary and burdensome practices to continue.”
The PASOK MP calls on the relevant Minister to state whether he considers the new increases imposed without an active index to be lawful, what measures he intends to take to protect the insured, and whether he intends to establish, on an emergency basis, a temporary cap on increases until the new adjustment index is published.