Muface Loses in Court: Must Pay €19.4M to DKV

Key vocabulary

• mutualidadf.

  mutual insurance organization

  “Muface es la mutualidad que ofrece seguro de salud a los funcionarios en España.”— Muface is the mutual insurance organization that offers health insurance to civil servants in Spain.

  Pattern mutualidad de funcionarios civil servant mutual aid society

  Compare mutua f. mutual aid society

  plural mutualidades

  💡 From Latin mutuus (mutual), referring to an organization where members help each other.

• funcionariom.

  civil servant, public employee

  “Muface es la mutualidad que ofrece seguro de salud a los funcionarios en España.”— Muface is the mutual insurance organization that offers health insurance to civil servants in Spain.

  Pattern funcionario público public official

  Compare empleado público m. public employee

  plural funcionarios; feminine funcionaria

  💡 From función (function), referring to a person who performs a public function.

• prórrogaf.

  extension, renewal period

  “La aseguradora DKV tuvo un sobrecoste por esta prórroga obligatoria.”— The insurer DKV had an extra cost due to this mandatory extension.

  Pattern prórroga obligatoria mandatory extension

  Compare extensión f. extension

  plural prórrogas

  💡 From prorrogar (to extend), note the double r pronunciation.

• sobrecostem.

  extra cost, cost overrun

  “Este dinero compensa el sobrecoste que tuvo la aseguradora.”— This money compensates for the extra cost that the insurer had.

  Pattern sobrecoste de energía extra energy cost

  Compare coste adicional m. additional cost

  plural sobrecostes

  💡 Prefix sobre- means 'over', coste is cost.

• aseguradoraf.

  insurance company

  “La aseguradora DKV tuvo un sobrecoste por esta prórroga obligatoria.”— The insurer DKV had an extra cost due to this mandatory extension.

  Pattern aseguradora de salud health insurance company

  Compare compañía de seguros f. insurance company

  plural aseguradoras

  💡 From asegurar (to insure), referring to a company that provides insurance.

• recursom.

  appeal; resource

  “DKV presentó un recurso ante el Tribunal Central de lo Contencioso Administrativo número 10 de Madrid.”— DKV filed an appeal before the Central Administrative Court number 10 of Madrid.

  Pattern presentar un recurso to file an appeal

  Compare apelación f. appeal

  plural recursos

  💡 In legal contexts often refers to an appeal; in everyday use also means resource.

• sentenciaf.

  judgment, ruling

  “La sentencia fija en 19,4 millones de euros la cantidad que Muface debe pagar a DKV.”— The judgment sets at 19.4 million euros the amount that Muface must pay to DKV.

  Pattern dictar sentencia to issue a ruling

  Compare fallo m. ruling

  plural sentencias

  💡 From sentir (to feel), but in legal contexts specifically refers to a judge's ruling.

• compensarv.

  to compensate, to offset

  “Este dinero compensa el sobrecoste que tuvo la aseguradora.”— This money compensates for the extra cost that the insurer had.

  Pattern compensar los daños to compensate for damages

  Compare indemnizar v. to indemnify

  regular conjugation: compenso, compensas, compensa...

  💡 From Latin compensare, meaning to balance, offset.

• reclamarv.

  to claim, to demand

  “Muestra que las aseguradoras pueden reclamar los costes extra cuando la Administración impone condiciones no previstas.”— It shows that insurers can claim extra costs when the Administration imposes unforeseen conditions.

  Pattern reclamar una deuda to claim a debt

  Compare exigir v. to demand

  regular conjugation: reclamo, reclamas, reclama...

  💡 From Latin reclamare, originally 'to cry out against', later extended to mean to demand.

• revisarv.

  to review, to revise

  “Muface tendrá que revisar sus acuerdos con las compañías.”— Muface will have to review its agreements with the companies.

  Pattern revisar un contrato to review a contract

  Compare examinar v. to examine

  regular conjugation: reviso, revisas, revisa...

  💡 From re- (again) and visar (to look), meaning to look again.

Grammar spotlight

Sentence patterns to steal

• La sentencia fija en 19,4 millones de euros la cantidad que Muface debe pagar a DKV.

  The ruling sets at 19.4 million euros the amount that Muface must pay to DKV.

  fijar en + amount + la cantidad que + clauseThe amount, the subject of the clause, and the verb can all be replaced.

• Muestra que las aseguradoras pueden reclamar los costes extra cuando la Administración impone condiciones no previstas.

  It shows that insurers can claim extra costs when the Administration imposes unforeseen conditions.

  Mostrar que + clause + cuando + clauseThe content of the clauses can be replaced with other cause-and-effect relationships.

• El fallo se puede recurrir ante la Sala de lo Contencioso de la Audiencia Nacional.

  The ruling can be appealed before the Administrative Chamber of the National Court.

  se puede + infinitive + ante + institutionThe infinitive and the name of the institution can be replaced.