Health insurer DSW freezes premiums for next year

Health insurance company DSW will not increase its premiums next year, the company said on Tuesday. The decision follows a higher contribution from a special fund that collects income-related health insurance premiums from people in work.

DSW is traditionally the first insurer to publish its premiums for the coming year and sets the pace for the rest of the sector.

The news means the basic DSW premium will remain €158.50 per month. Without the extra money, the premium would have gone up by €6 a month, director Aad de Groot said.

At the presentation of next year’s spending plans earlier this month, the government said it expected premiums to rise by around €3.

The government determines the makeup of the basic policy and the own risk payment, which remains frozen at €385. Insurance companies are free to set their own prices and to determine the cost and composition of top-up policies, covering items like dental services and extra physiotherapy.

Four companies Achmea (Zilveren Kruis), VGZ, CZ and Menzis control 90% of the market.