Consumer assoc.: Health insurers must use reserves to limit premium increase

According to consumers association Consumentenbond, the Dutch health insurers have more than 3.3 billion euros in "extra" reserves, even though they're making less profits. The association calls on the insurers to stop "hoarding unnecessarily" and "do everything to reduce the premium increases", ANP reports.

Figures from last year show that the four big insurers CZ, VGZ, Achmea and Menzis made half the profit they did in 2014. "But the four still managed to put 307 million into the reserve port in 2015", Bart Combee, director of the Consumentenbond said.

Achmea owns the largest share of the 3.3 billion euros in extra reserves at 1.4 billion euros, according to the association. Menzis owns the smallest share at 205 million euros.

According to the association, health insurers should "do everything possible to limit the increase and premiums and give clear answers. Where do the const increases come from, what reserves are there, and what is being done to dampen the premium for 2017?"