In the fiercely competitive realm of health insurance, where companies invest tens of millions of korunas in advertising, the returns in terms of attracting new policyholders often remain modest, with shifts typically measured in the thousands.

Leading the pack in spending last year was the Prominent General Health Insurance Company (VZP), boasting over 6 million policyholders. VZP, allocating approximately 77 million korunas for advertising and PR services, focused its campaign on broader societal issues, delving into the financing and sustainability of healthcare and emphasizing the importance of prevention at both individual and systemic levels.

The Health Insurance Company of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic, with around 1.3 million policyholders, invested over 22 million korunas in its campaign, experiencing a net increase of over four thousand policyholders. The campaign strategically featured an augmented contribution to psychologists, positioning it as a form of public support for preventive measures.

In the case of the Czech Industrial Health Insurance Company (ČPZP), which spent just under 28 million on promotion, the advertising efforts translated into more substantial shifts in policyholder numbers. The company registered 46,667 new policyholders in 2023, while 40,185 terminated their registration.

Contrastingly, the smaller Employee Insurance Company, Škoda, with around 144,000 clients, opted for a more frugal approach in advertising compared to its larger counterparts. Remarkably, despite the minor advertising spend, the company recorded a positive balance with 45 additional policyholders last year, registering 423 departures and 468 arrivals.

Despite the intense competition and significant advertising investments, the cumulative number of policyholders across health insurance companies reached 10.95 million, with 56.8 percent being state policyholders. The industry’s marketing landscape reflects the challenging task of achieving substantial growth in policyholder numbers despite substantial financial commitments to promotional activities.

Article by Prague Forum