More health insurers publish new premiums, no big increases so far

More Dutch health insurance companies have been publishing their premiums for next year, ahead of the six week window for changing policies.

Ohra is increasing its price for the basic package by €3.40 a month to €107.95, citing increasing demand and wage costs as reasons for the increase. Delta Lloyd is also increasing the price of its basic free-choice policy by 3.24% to €119.58.

However Zorg en Zekerheid is cutting its policy price by €1 a month, using its reserves to pay for the cut.

Both Delta Lloyd and Ohra also said they had dipped into their reserves to keep premium prices low.

DSW, traditionally the first to announce its fees ahead of the new round of price hikes, said last month it will cut its premium charges by 50 cents a month, taking the price of the basic healthcare package to €107.50 a month.

The four biggest players – Achmea (Zilveren Kruis), VGZ, CZ and Menzis, with control some 90% of the market, have until November 12 to publish their fees.

The caretaker government said in September it expected premiums to rise by around €80 a year but all the price rises announced so far have been well below this.

The new government has frozen the own-risk payment which everyone has to pay towards the cost of their treatment a year at €385.