What kind of organization is BS&F?

“We help municipalities keep low-income residents physically, mentally, and financially healthy and make the implementation of these measures accessible and efficient. To this end, we have developed various products and services, including the Gemeentepolis: a group health insurance plan for low-income residents. Nearly all municipalities in the Netherlands offer this insurance, and approximately 750,000 people use it.”

What exactly does the Municipal Policy entail?

“For people with low incomes, good access to healthcare is especially important. In addition to financial worries—often accompanied by debt problems—these individuals are also more likely to experience physical and mental health issues. A municipal health insurance policy includes several coverage options specifically designed for this target group, which help prevent people from avoiding care and ensure there are no unexpected costs. These include additional coverage such as insurance for the statutory deductible and copayments. Through the Municipal Health Insurance Policy, a municipality provides low-income individuals with access to Healthcare and special assistance. This reduces health risks for vulnerable people and breaks the vicious cycle in which many find themselves.” Low-income individuals receive a municipal subsidy if they have a Municipal Health Insurance Policy.

So, that’s an important solution. What was your challenge?

“We noticed that applying for the Municipal Insurance Policy involves a lot of administrative red tape: both for low-income individuals and for municipalities. A municipality must be able to verify whether someone applying for such a policy actually belongs to the target group and is entitled to the municipal contribution. What is their income? What assets do they own, such as a house or a car? What if someone owns their own business? This requires a lot of information, all of which the applicant had to gather and submit, only to have it assessed—often manually—by the municipality. Our goal was to make all this information easily accessible digitally through our online platform, Gezondverzekerd.nl.”

That makes sense! How exactly does Turner fit into the picture?

“I’ve been working with Frits Korthals Altes on various innovative projects since 2009, and with Patrick Eppink for even longer. In 2011, they were a tremendous help to me in launching Ditzo. In a short period of time, we set up the first fully online insurance company. We accomplished in a few months what people at the time thought was impossible. By now, we know exactly what to expect from each other. So I knew that, once again, they would quickly grasp our strategic challenge and be able to make it a reality.”

What was the strategic challenge for BS&F?

“We wanted to create a smart online solution for vulnerable residents and municipalities, but how exactly? We’re a small, knowledge-intensive organization; our people know everything there is to know about the social sector. But developing an online platform to assess income and assets—I knew that was really a job for Frits and Patrick.”

What exactly did we do?

“Frits and Patrick worked with our team to develop the platform strategy. The danger of the next phase—the execution phase—is that there are many paths to Rome. Before you know it, you end up exploring them all at once, and aside from talking, nothing else gets done. I trust Frits and know what he’s capable of, so he took care of that for us in a short period of time. He mapped out the ideal ‘customer journey,’ designed all the processes, drafted contracts, and ensured connections with all relevant parties—such as the Tax and Customs Administration, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), the Land Registry, and the Vehicle Authority (RDW). He also led the team that built the platform. Thanks to his dedication, we were able to launch this tool as an additional feature on Gezondverzekerd.nl in a short amount of time.”

So what’s the advantage of this online platform?

“First, people can use Gezondverzekerd.nl to immediately see if they are eligible for municipal programs, including the municipal health insurance policy. They can also easily request all the necessary information from all relevant parties and share it with the municipality. That saves them a lot of hassle. In this way, we lower the barrier to taking advantage of the programs to which they are entitled.”

You work for municipalities—what benefits do they get out of it?

“Of course, it also saves municipalities a lot of paperwork: all information sharing and substantive reviews are handled digitally. With such a streamlined information-sharing process, you can also check more frequently whether people are still eligible for the policy or whether their financial situation has improved. The time and money you save this way can be put to much better use.”

So, it’s a win-win situation. How do you see the future?

“This is just the beginning. There are so many other programs that we’re going to streamline in the same way. Think of energy costs and other municipal programs, such as city passes. Many people on low incomes face a surcharge on their energy bills due to payment arrears. Municipalities can also offer a collective solution to this by making special arrangements with energy providers.”

What do you say to people who are hesitant about further digitization in implementing organizations?

“Did you know that of the 6.2 billion euros we spend in the Netherlands on (Special) Social Assistance, 2 billion goes toward administrative costs alone? There are about 350 municipalities in the Netherlands, each of which acts as its own implementing agency. We’re creating a single smart digital solution for all municipalities and can also tailor it to local regulations and preferences. This way, as a municipality, you’ll actually have money left over to do more for vulnerable residents. Plus, we make it easy for citizens. There are 1.5 million people in this group. That means many people who are entitled to extra assistance aren’t taking advantage of it yet. What a shame!”

What was it like working with Frits and Patrick again?

“Awesome! Frits always comes up with the smartest solutions, and Patrick doesn’t just tell you what you want to hear—he always aims for perfection. Not only do we enjoy working together, but it’s also very efficient. Because we trust each other so much, we can move quickly. When a smaller organization hires consultants, it’s relatively expensive, so you want to make rapid progress and know that you’ll recoup your investment.”