Penta's Union-Dôvera merger reshapes Slovak health insurance

Penta Investments is acquiring the health insurer Union and will merge it with its existing private insurer Dôvera. The consolidation will leave only one private health insurer in Slovakia, competing with the state-run VšZP. Union policyholders will be automatically transferred to Dôvera on 1 January 2027, unless they submit a switch request to VšZP by 30 September 2026. Union’s chief executive Michal Špaňár says services and benefits will continue unchanged during the transition.

Critics, including MP Marek Krajčí, argue that the cross‑ownership gives Penta excessive market power, citing past profits of €900 million from Dôvera and warning that reduced competition could harm public interest. They call for stricter regulation of such financial group holdings in the health sector.