The mechanism and problems of private health insurance in private hospitals

In developing countries, healthcare is an important parameter in determining economical and social levels. It is also one of the main dynamics of growth in Turkey. In our country, the financing of healthcare services is provided by public or private sources. Studies have been carried out since the beginning of 1980?s to prevent the rapid increase in healthcare costs and to carry out the treatment services together with the private sector. As a result of this, private hospitals are rapidly developing in our country. Besides, transforming public hospitals as self-sufficient health foundations by autonomizing them is one of the last steps of transformation in healthcare. This situation, emerges the fact of competition in healthcare sector, especially in hospitals. Within the scope of these politics, a section of the community prefers to buy private health insurances and take services from the contractual health service providers due to some reasons such as; getting quality health service, taking preventing precautions against the risk of diseases, being able to afford the private hospitals? high treatment costs, distrust in affiliated social security institution, conveniences in getting appointments, distrust in the health service provided in public hospitals. The problems faced in health service providers in the process of providing service to the patients with private health insurances, are important for the patient, the insurance company and the service provider. In terms of the trust relationship between patient, service provider health institution and private insurance these problems should be identified. As the results obtained in the practice were evaluated entirely; the most important problem for both the patients and the responsible healthcare personnel was found as not giving detailed information about the provision and the waiting periods. Most of the responsible healthcare personnel state that, the issues like the prolongation of the provision process related to the control periods of the problems related to the private health insurances and not being able to reach the insurance company in case of the need to return a call, cause huge problems. The aim of this study is to investigate the problems faced about the private health insurances in hospitals. The findings of the study are expected to contribute to the private health insurance sector by lighting the way for the improvement works in private health insurances? service process.