Income insurers contribute to the implementation of social security in the Netherlands. They offer employers, employees and self-employed entrepreneurs insurance to cover the income risk due to illness and incapacity for work. At the same time, they strive for the lowest possible number of people in work who drop out, and that the sick and disabled can return to (suitable) work through effective reintegration. To achieve this, income insurers work closely with company and insurance doctors, case managers and reintegration specialists.
An activating social security system
In addition to effective reintegration, more and more attention is being paid to the vitality of workers throughout their careers. Prevention is an important theme for insurers. The Dutch Association of Insurers also sees the social importance of vitality and therefore contributes to an activating social security. You can find out how we do this on this theme page.
Here you will find information about the role of income insurers in health, illness, disability, reintegration and prevention. Are you looking for information about pension and income? Then go to verzekeraars.nl/pensioenen.
Prevention and reintegration
Income insurers are committed to keeping them in work (prevention) and receive workers who have temporarily or partially dropped out due to illness or incapacity for work (reintegration). They ensure income protection for workers by reducing the financial risks of insured persons. For example, the focus is entirely on recovery and return to (appropriate) work. Insurers facilitate this in collaboration with occupational health and safety services and reintegration agencies. In addition, there is an increasing emphasis on preventing failure through effective prevention measures. In this way, income insurers help to keep workers healthy at work and contribute to a sustainable continuation of business.
Employers and incapacity for work
Income insurers support employers who have to deal with (long-term) sick or incapacitated employees. Income insurers offer absenteeism insurance in the context of continued payment of wages in the event of illness, offer employers the possibility to privately insure the Work and Income according to Work Capacity Act (WIA) and also offer a variety of options to cover risks in this area.
Absenteeism-unburdening insurance
At the end of 2018, employers, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment and the Association concluded a covenant for the development of absenteeism-unburdening insurance. The SME unburdening insurance is an absenteeism insurance for employers who want to hand over the complete control over employee absenteeism. All necessary services are included, a case manager is in charge and supports parties in the execution of their responsibilities. Agreements have also been made about the way in which absenteeism insurers take the employer's own absenteeism into account in the premium.
Employees and incapacity for work
If an employee calls in sick, the employer pays at least 70% of the salary for 104 weeks. In this case, absenteeism insurers, in collaboration with occupational health and safety services and with professionals such as case managers, the company doctor and labour experts, play an important role in supporting employers and employees.
If an employee does not fully recover during this period, it is possible to apply for a disability benefit after two years. An employer can choose to place this risk with a private insurer. Insurers are also active in the implementation of this scheme. They also offer services that help employees stay at work and guide them back to work.
More control for employees
If an employee is unable to work due to illness, he or she has an important responsibility in the process of recovery and reintegration. It is important that employees, more than is currently the case, have control over this process. This way they can return healthy and quickly to their own or other suitable work. To achieve this, research is being done into promoting this self-management and into improving the services provided to sick employees. For this we work together with the trade association of occupational health and safety services (OVAL) and the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG).
Tool 'Income in case of illness and incapacity for work'
Getting sick can happen to anyone. If someone is ill for longer or becomes incapacitated for work, this can have a significant impact on the income they receive. The tool 'Income in case of illness and incapacity for work' (also known as wia-tool) offers a handy overview of someone's financial risks in the event of long-term illness and/or incapacity for work. The tool is a tool for case managers to have the conversation about the financial impact of long-term illness and/or disability.
Privacy of sick employees
Privacy of sick employees is important. That is why, together with the trade association of occupational health and safety services (OVAL), we have drawn up the Manual privacy income insurance ( July 2020). The manual states which information parties may share with each other during the claim assessment, absenteeism guidance and reintegration of sick employees. It helps insurers to give substance to the (U)AVG and the Code of Conduct for the Processing of Personal Data by Insurers.
Self-employed and incapacity for work
Self-employed entrepreneurs are responsible for their own income if they become incapacitated for work. They decide for themselves whether and how they insure themselves against the risk of incapacity for work. Income insurers have developed the individual disability insurance (AOV) for this target group. The AOV offers self-employed people income protection in the event of illness and incapacity for work, and services in the field of prevention and reintegration.
An AOV is a tailor-made insurance. Self-employed people therefore have the opportunity to have the insurance cover match their personal (financial) circumstances and preferences. The amount of the premium depends on these personal preferences, and the chance that the self-employed person will become ill or incapacitated for work and is therefore entitled to a benefit. Because the risk of incapacity for work is not the same for everyone, the premium can differ between self-employed people. And if the risk is too high, the self-employed person may not be accepted for the insurance. The central government wants to encourage self-employed people to take out insurance so that everyone has a minimum safety net, and the costs and risks of the uninsured do not come down to society. That is why a statutory insurance obligation for the self-employed was announced in 2019. We are currently working on the design of this compulsory disability insurance.
Evidence-based data
Insurers want to determine as well and objectively as possible which factors influence the risk of incapacity for work. This is important because these factors play a role in disability insurance (AOV). On the one hand when making acceptance decisions and carrying out claim assessments, but also when setting up effective services for prevention and reintegration. The availability of 'evidence-based' data is therefore of great importance to insurers and their customers. The Association is therefore investing in a scientific project with the aim of further increasing the scientific basis of available data. Among other things, for the acceptance process and the claim assessment at AOVs. In this project, the Association collaborates with the Dutch Association of Medical Advisors in Private Insurance (GAV) and the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG).
Consumer information
On vanatotzekerheid.nl, consumers will find general information about insurance. The website is built from life events such as buying a house, death and pension in relation to insurance. There is also information about illness and incapacity for work, the Work and Income according to Work Capacity Act for employees and various insurances, including the disability insurance for self-employed entrepreneurs.