Health insurance company DSW is increasing its basic policy premium by €9.75 next year, taking monthly payments to €137.50.

The 7.6% increase is the biggest ever imposed by DSW and is roughly in line with the government’s estimate of a €10 increase in 2023. DSW, with 640,000 clients, is the fifth biggest health insurance company in the Netherlands.

The steep rise is largely down to pay rises for healthcare workers, but inflation and higher energy bills are also having an impact on costs, DSW chairman Aad de Groot told the Telegraaf.

DSW is traditionally the first Dutch insurance company to publish its premiums for the following year. All must have done so before November 12, when the six weeks window to switch health insurer starts.

The government determines the make up of the basic policy and the own risk payment, currently €385. Insurance companies are free to set their own prices and to determine the cost and composition of top up policies, covering items like dental services and extra physiotherapy.

Income-dependent healthcare benefits (zorgtoeslag) will reach a maximum of €145 per month for a single person or €247 for a couple next year, up from €111 and €212 in 2022.