Market share of health insurance groups in the Netherlands 2006-2022

In 2022, the four biggest health insurance groups in the Netherlands saw their market share decrease in favor of their smaller competitors. Insurance groups are known as "concerns" in the Netherlands. Note that this wording of concern matters a lot for Dutch healthcare. In the Netherlands, there are 10 large health care insurance concerns, each with multiple companies. The concern Achmea, for example, owns the following companies (commonly referred to as zorgverzekeraars: Agis Zorgverzekeringen, Avero Achmea Zorgverzekering, FBTO, Groene Land Interpolis Zorgverzekeringen, OZF Zorgverzekeringen, De Friesland, and Zilveren Kruis Zorgverzekeringen. In addition, some of these companies also own multiple health insurance brands or labels. To stick to the example of Achmea, this concern owned six companies but also the labels of ZieZo and Pro Life, which belong to Zilveren Kruis. In total, the 10 concerns were responsible for a total of 34 companies or health insurance brands.

How common is switching health insurance provider in the Netherlands?

It is allowed in the Netherlands to cancel one's basic health insurance and change insurance companies every year until the 31st of December. When individuals end their contract before the end of December, their contract will end as of January 1st. They can then choose a new health insurance company before February 1st. In 2021, the share of individuals who switched health insurance companies reached a value of approximately 6.7 percent.