Barriers to entry and expansion in the Dutch health insurance market

The ACM has conducted a study into barriers to entry and expansion in in the Dutch health insurance market. These barriers are an important reason for the lack of effective competition between health insurers.

The study shows that high capital requirements and the limited possibilities to meet them, form an unnecessarily high barrier. The ACM therefore calls for more research into the proportionality of capital regulation in this market and more freedom for health insurers to decide how they use their profits.

Other important barriers to entry and expansion are the licensing process of the Dutch central bank and regulatory uncertainty experienced by market participants.