Health insurance company DSW is to increase its basic premium next year by €87 to €1,137 a year, less than the maximum forecast by the government and below industry estimates. DSW, which has 330,000 policy holders, is the first insurer to announce its new charges.

Yesterday the competition authority NMa gave the go ahead to two major health insurance mergers. Agis Menzis and Delta Lloyd were given the green light to combine into one company with four million policy holders. The second merger is between VGZ-IZA-Trias and Univé (4.2 million clients). Despite the regional origins of some health insurers, the market is national and the mergers have no effect on competition, the NMa said.