According to ABC, the CNMC analyzes possible agreements or concerted practices between companies in the insurance sector. The focus is on three areas:
- Claims and coverage management
- Exchange of customer information
- Fees of professionals linked to the files
Possible exclusions or vetoes of certain professionals within these networks are also examined. By late February, the CNMC carried out inspections at company headquarters in the sector.
Since then, legal sources point to new actions while the main fear among insurers, according to the newspaper, is that the investigation will not be limited to a few actors and will extend to the entire market.
Risk of million-dollar sanctions
If the investigated practices are confirmed, the consequences can be relevant. The regulations allow imposing fines of up to 10% of the annual turnover of each company involved. In some cases, this would entail penalties of hundreds of millions of euros.
A key part of the investigation focuses on the platforms that insurers use to process claims. Different profiles participate in these networks: experts, repairers. lawyers and managers.
The analysis seeks to determine if there have been agreements on fees or limitations of access to these systems.
Brokerages also under the spotlight
The CNMC includes insurance brokers in the analysis. They are key players because they manage large client portfolios and operate with multiple insurers. In similar investigations in Europe, it has been studied whether they can act as a channel for the exchange of strategic information between companies.