ANP extension
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Health insurers are concerned about the growing number of Dutch people buying their health insurance via a comparison website, such as Independer, Zorgkiezer or Pricewise. It leads to an increase in costs and comparators lure customers with gifts, while the insurers had just agreed not to do it anymore.
For most health insurers, comparison sites are an important means of acquiring new customers. “What many people don’t know is that comparators charge health insurers a fee for bringing new customers through their site,” says a spokesperson for Menzis. “These so-called mediation costs are passed on by the health insurers into the premium that the customer pays.”
’19 euros per customer’
Comparators say they receive an average of around 19 euros per customer per year. But according to the experts, these are higher amounts, because they ask for an extra premium for additional insurance or for a higher place in the classification, for example.
“We get paid for the services we provide, such as creating an overview, online counseling and arranging for the cancellation of your old health insurance policy,” says Independer’s Mirjam Prins. “Reimbursement varies by insurer and depends on length, the health insurance you choose, additional coverage, and many other factors.”
“It is obviously not surprising that costs are involved in comparing health insurance policies. Also, sites play a role in market forces,” says a CZ spokesperson. “But we are concerned about rising costs, over which we have no direct control.”
Menzis is also not happy with the amounts it spends on comparators. “As we believe the required brokerage fees are too high, we have decided not to enter into a partnership with all comparators,” says a spokesperson. “These costs cannot be justified for our customers.”
Independer points out that they also provide free information, because many people check comparators without ultimately changing policy. “Of people who switch, about half arrange it not with Independer, but on the health insurer’s website,” Prins continues. “So we incur costs and help everyone, but our actual compensation is significantly less.”
‘It is necessary’
Zorgkiezer also sees many people comparing on their site ultimately take out their policy with the same health insurer. “We see that you need to give customers a gift, and customers expect it, otherwise they wouldn’t buy the policy through us. But they used our comparison service.” The comparison site says it’s open to a discussion with health insurers about this.
Health insurers don’t want to say how much they pay comparison sites, because that’s competitively sensitive information. We know that more than 1 million people switch each year, more than a third of whom switched via comparison websites last year. In 2019, it was still one-fifth.
ACM/NAS
A few years ago health insurers agreed to limit the supply of gifts. But many comparators still promise people a gift, like a free electric toothbrush, sports membership, or gift card, if they take out insurance with them. They pay it from brokerage fees.
“This bothers us,” says the CZ spokesperson. “If they do it now, on balance we have earned little. In the end, the policyholders have to pay for it, so it’s a cigar in its own box. We also talked about it to the comparators”. Menzis also says he is discussing it with the comparison sites he works with.
Coöperatie VGZ is also not satisfied with the way the comparison sites work. “We believe it is very important that people choose health insurance that matches their personal situation in terms of coverage and price. But we do not think it is appropriate to use gifts, gift certificates or other extras as an incentive to directly take out the policy through a particular comparison site . .”
“The extra that Independer offers is for being healthy and staying healthy,” says Prins van Independer in a response. “Because of the agreements we can make with partners, the expense for this is much less than the value to the consumer.”
