ASTRA Asigurari, "Healthcare 2010 International Forum" - 5th edition Gold Partner

On September 27th and 28th, at Hotel Athenee Palace Hilton, the Healthcare International Forum discussed some of the most urgent issues of the Romanian healthcare system and an attempt was made to trigger the actual reform of the healthcare system, a real reform generating a more efficient and, thus, better performing system. Amongst the 30 attending spokespersons, we would like to mention some of the authorities: Cristian Anton Irimia - Secretary of State, Minister of Health, Sorin Oprescu – General Mayor of Bucharest Municipality, Lucian Duta – President of the National Healthcare Security Fund, the Astra Asigurari representative – Radu Mustatea, Directorate President, Angelo Haplea – Managing Partner of TPSH Group - AXA partner, Germany.

Encouraging the development of the private insurance sector is vital for the evolution of the Romanian healthcare system - this was one of the conclusions drawn within the Healthcare International Forum, 2010.

Until we will benefit from a real reform of the healthcare system, Astra Asigurari provides Romanians with the solution - the Astra Sante product - the private health insurance is currently the engine for a functional healthcare system, even for persons insured in the state system.

The Astra Sante private health insurance guarantees access to the best medical services with coverage in Germany, Austria and, optionally, in Romania. Astra Sante is established on ethical bases and it meets the following values: unlimited insured amount, free choice of the doctor, without being bound to visit a certain doctor or a certain hospital, the principle of insurance against all illness, with no exception, the automated insured of new borns, the annulment of the insurer’s right of termination (after the expiration of a minimum term) - the insurer cannot terminate an insurance contract throughout the insured person’s lifetime, as long as the latter continues to pay its contribution, case management - for stationary treatment in Germany or Austria, the insured benefits from the advice of a specialist in order to establish the method of treatment.

“It is increasingly obvious that the public health insurance system does not work in order to provide the minimum normal services for most persons who require them. Last year alone there were intensely publicized cases where the public health system has encountered serious errors in operation, with tragic outcomes for the patients and the dependents thereof. We are currently at a turning point of the future of medical healthcare insurance. We benefit from the information and experience of other systems that operate under good conditions, in other parts of the world. We do not need to reinvent the wheel - just to find the most suitable formula to build the future Romanian healthcare system and this system cannot operate properly without a private component.

Health insurance policies provided by the products of insurance companies are certainly those that will lead to the increase of the quality standards for medical healthcare services.

Insurers are prepared for this change”, declared Radu Mustatea, President of the ASTRA Asigurari Directorate.

About ASTRA Asigurari

During the first 6 months of 2010, the ASTRA Asigurari company registered a net accounting profit of RON 11,363,128, with an 83% increase compared to S1/2009. The volume of the total subscribed gross premiums net of direct cancellations and re-insurance establishments (life and non-life) registered by the company during the first semester of 2010 amounts to RON 581,191,318, of which RON 574,903,620 is the volume of the gross premiums subscribed to general insurance, registering a 41% increase compared to the 1st semester of 2009.

Life insurance policies have registered a 134% increase compared to the first semester of 2009, and the subscribed gross premiums amounted to RON 6.3 million.

ASTRA Asigurari is a PAID founding member, holding the maximum contribution accepted by law, of 15% of the share package of this insurance pool. The company has recently released the company website www.astraonline.ro