The Turkish Competition Authority has launched a wide-ranging investigation into several companies operating in the country’s private health insurance ecosystem, including insurers, private hospitals, and firms providing technical and operational services to healthcare providers.
The investigation follows complaints submitted to the authority alleging potential anticompetitive conduct in the private health insurance market.
Allegations of Coordination Among Insurers
According to the authority’s announcement, the case will examine whether insurance companies may have coordinated their behaviour in ways that could restrict competition. Among the allegations being investigated are claims that insurers may have jointly determined, increased, or maintained insurance premiums.
The authority will also assess whether companies may have engaged in practices such as allocating customers, regions, or product segments among themselves. Another focus of the investigation is the potential exchange of competitively sensitive information, including data related to prices, costs, and risk calculations.
Such practices, if proven, could significantly affect competition in the health insurance market by reducing price rivalry and limiting consumer choice.
Possible Agreements with Healthcare Providers
In addition to possible coordination among insurers, the authority is also examining whether exclusionary agreements may have been concluded between insurers and healthcare service providers.
The healthcare sector involves a complex set of relationships between insurers, hospitals, patients, and service intermediaries. When insured patients receive medical treatment, insurers and healthcare providers must coordinate billing and reimbursement processes, often through specialized IT systems and operational service providers.
Because of this structure, the investigation also includes companies that provide technical and operational support services used in these transactions.
Companies Under Investigation
The Competition Board decided on 16 March 2026 to open a full investigation into the following undertakings:
Allianz Sigorta AŞ, Anadolu Anonim Türk Sigorta Şirketi, Ankara Anonim Türk Sigorta Şirketi, Aveon Global Sigorta AŞ, Axa Sigorta AŞ, Bupa Acıbadem Sigorta AŞ, Hepiyi Sigorta AŞ, Katılım Emeklilik ve Hayat AŞ, Mapfre Sigorta AŞ, Medisa Sigorta AŞ, Prive Sigorta AŞ, Zurich Sigorta AŞ, Zurich Yaşam ve Emeklilik AŞ, Quick Sigorta AŞ, Acıbadem Sağlık Hizmetleri ve Ticaret AŞ, Memorial Sağlık Yatırımları AŞ, Özel Edremit Körfez Hastanesi, SenCard Partners Bilgi Teknolojileri AŞ, and Turassist Sağlık Destek Hizmetleri AŞ.
The investigation will assess whether the companies’ conduct may have violated Türkiye’s competition law, Act No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition.
Investigation Does Not Imply Violation
The authority emphasized that the launch of an investigation does not mean that the companies have already violated competition rules. Rather, it indicates that the Competition Board has found sufficient indications during a preliminary inquiry to justify a detailed examination of the allegations.
The outcome of the investigation will depend on the evidence gathered during the procedure.
