Spending on health insurance is the health-related expenditure item that has increased the most among individuals. This expenditure has grown by 4.8% (2016 consensus data), showing a continuing trend, according to BRAINTRUST's Observatory for the Monitoring of Competition in the Health Sector. The change in the trend of socio-economic indicators is evidence of the economic recovery and the health insurance sector is clearly benefiting.
BRAINTRUST, in its 2017 Observatory for the Monitoring of Competition in the Healthcare Sector, has analysed the socio-economic context, and the market situation and expectations from 2008 to 2019. To do so, it has studied the evolution of different indicators: GDP, CPI of insurance and medical services, general CPI, Public Administration consumption or household consumption, using primary data sources (INE and others) and other contrasted data from its own research.
In its detailed analysis BRAINTRUST concludes "that at national level we are facing an economic context of growth with low interest rates, rising consumption and rising health insurance prices, auguring a good horizon for the health insurance business". The data from the Observatory also confirms that the Basque Country, Navarre, Catalonia, Madrid, Asturias and the Balearic Islands are the Autonomous Regions with the highest average net income per capita in Spain thanks to their higher employment and employment rates, which undoubtedly makes them areas with the greatest potential for the health insurance market.
When analysing the evolution of health spending during 2011-2016, the BRAINTRUST observatory finds that health insurance spending grew by +17.5%, health spending by +10% and out-of-pocket spending by +9.9%. This contrasts, however, with public health expenditure falling by -1.4%. Looking at the year-on-year change in 2015-16, private health insurance increased by 4.8%, in line with the health insurance CPI (+4.6% in 2016), while public health spending increased by only 3.4%.
BRAINTRUST, in its analysis of the average expenditure per person dedicated to health in Spanish households, found that in 2016 the largest increase was in health insurance, with +9.6%, compared to other categories such as therapeutic devices and equipment, pharmaceuticals, dental services, medical services, hospital services and other medical products.
These figures are a true reflection of the fact that concern about healthcare is among the priorities of the Spanish population. Thus, according to the latest CIS barometer (February 2018), it is the fifth problem that worries Spaniards. Health is perceived as something necessary and it is not something to play with, as we found in the "Observatory for the Monitoring of Competition in Health Insurance" conducted by BRAINTRUST. Citizens demand more and better health services, diagnostics and treatments. Universal public health care entails long waiting lists and unrest for society, which is where private health care has found its niche and at the same time its need. Every day it grows more and more, adding clients/patients and accumulating new and more extensive coverage.
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