Key findings:

• The cheapest basic policy this year is cheaper than the cheapest of last year: a unique situation
• There are increasingly more policies with relatively low premiums
• The average discount for the maximum voluntary deductible is largely the same as in recent years
• But for policy holders who choose the maximum voluntary deductible (because they expect low healthcare costs), there is more to save by choosing the cheapest policy on the market

By attracting new policyholders, health insurers can keep their insured population stable or even gain market share, which delivers scale advantages. In addition, attracting healthy policyholders (who choose the maximum voluntary deductible) remains attractive even with an improved risk-equalization model.