Health insurance company DSW is to increase the cost of its basic healthcare insurance policy by €27 next year, taking the annual charge to €1,080.

DSW is traditionally the first insurance company to announce its new fees. The 2.5% increase is well below the 4.2% rise which the health ministry said it was expecting in 2010.
In the Netherlands, healthcare insurance is offered by private companies but the government dictates what elements should be included in the basic package.
Insurers always make their new rates known in the autumn, ahead of the year-end window in which people can switch to another company.