Dutch health insurers are calling for changes in the law to stop people moving to a different company every year.

Andre Rouvoet, chairman of the insurers’ association Zorgverzekeraars Nederland, says in an interview with the NRC that lengthening the contract period would allow companies to focus on longer term policy.

‘In the current situation we are always looking to see if we can be a couple of euros cheaper,’ he said. ‘A policy which runs for more year would give more time for reflection, as it would if insurers made multi-year agreements with hospitals.’

At the moment, people can change insurance company during a short window at the end of the year. They have until January 1 to cancel their old policy and February 1 to sign up for a new one. Last year, around one million people made the switch.