Govt. may tighten control on auto, indemnity medical insurance premiums
By a2016032Published : June 13, 2017 - 13:36
Insurers are likely to face difficulty in raising premiums on auto and indemnity medical insurance as the government of President Moon Jae-in is considering a plan to tighten controls on products, officials said Tuesday.
The move, which appears to be aimed at easing financial burdens of low-income people, is expected to take shape as Moon appoints a new head of the Financial Services Commission, the nation's top financial regulator.
Ruling party officials have raised the idea of tightening price controls on auto and indemnity medical insurance, or reimbursement-backed private medical insurance because they are "closely related to people's livelihoods," a senior FSC official said.
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Insurers have come under scrutiny as they sharply increased premiums.
According to a parliamentary audit report by Rep. Sim Sang-jeong, a progressive lawmaker, Heungkuk Life Insurance hiked premiums for female holders of indemnity medical insurance by 47.9 percent last year.
As for male holders, premiums of Heungkuk's indemnity medical insurance rose by 35 percent last year.
Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance and Allianz Life Insurance Korea increased premiums of such insurance by as much as 28.9 percent and 24.6 percent, respectively, last year.
Prices of car insurance were also on the rise last year.
KB Insurance raised premiums of its auto insurance by 3.5 percent last year, while Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance increased premiums by 2.8 percent. (Yonhap)