Characteristics and Costs of Switching Customers at a Dutch Health Insurance Company

Our research focused on switching behaviour and the costs of switching customers within a Dutch health insurance company. Each year people have the opportunity to switch their health insurer or package. The intention of allowing switching is to enhance competition and consumer choice in order to improve quality and efficiency in health care. Due to medical underwriting, risk selection, and increasing pressure on the supplementary packages, switching behaviour and the cost of switching customers need to be identified and may contribute to the health insurance company.