The demand for private health insurance in Malta : a comparison with other European Union member states

Abstract

Private health insurance is present within every European Union member state, together with publicly financed health insurance, however, there is a huge difference between the role played by the publicly financed health care system and the private health insurance system, which are analysed within this study. It is also tough to imagine having a private health insurance market without the publicly financed health care system. In Malta, the private health insurance market does not strive and plays a rather modest role. many people rely on the publicly funded health care, however, with the ever-increasing population on the Maltese islands, this can prove to be a heavy burden since resources and facilities are limited in the public health care system. This research study therefore provides an overview and analysis of the possible reasons for this occurrence. For the purpose of this study, interviews were conducted with three different individuals representing three different insurance companies locally. The data was then analysed by finding the common arguments that were discussed during the interviews.