Why Prevention Is the New Must-Have for European Insurers

Alejandro Martínez · 2026-10-24

The insurance industry is at a turning point. On October 14, France FinTech brought together key players from the insurance sector at Les Furets, in partnership with Oliver Wyman, to tackle a question that's becoming impossible to ignore: how can prevention keep insurance affordable and sustainable? The answer, it turns out, is more complex than simply telling people to be careful. It's about building a system where prevention is baked into the everyday experience of policyholders. ### The Sustainability Challenge Jérémie Viscuso, Partner at Oliver Wyman, kicked off the morning with a keynote that laid out the stark reality. Insurers have gotten really good at measuring risk. Models are more sophisticated, data is more plentiful, and claims management tools are sharper than ever. But here's the catch: they still can't reduce risk at scale. And that's a problem. Because when the cost of damages keeps rising, insurance becomes less accessible. Even if capital is available, repeated premium hikes can push coverage out of reach for many. "The best claim is the one that never happens," Viscuso noted, but making that a reality requires a fundamental shift in the insurer-policyholder relationship. ### From Reactive to Proactive So what does that shift look like? For one, insurers need to be present in their customers' daily lives, not just when disaster strikes. That means partnering with service companies, maintenance providers, and other on-the-ground players who can intervene before small issues become big claims. Technology can help personalize this approach. After all, a baker, a locksmith, and a homeowner in a flood zone have very different needs. AI can craft targeted recommendations and adapt interactions to each policyholder's profile. But as Viscuso pointed out, AI doesn't replace human support. Trust and expertise are still crucial when it comes to understanding risk, financing repairs, or changing behavior. > "Prevention only works if it's sustained over time and becomes a recurring practice." That quote from the event sums up the challenge: it's not about one-off campaigns, but about embedding prevention into the fabric of insurance. ### Health Insurance: Beyond Reimbursement Fabrice Staad, CEO of Alan France, offered a glimpse of what this looks like in health insurance. Alan's model is built on an integrated platform that combines prevention, coverage, and access to health services. The goal? To reduce fragmentation and give policyholders a single entry point for all their health questions. This approach addresses two big issues: - **Healthcare access:** Care is still unequal, and some pathways are long and complex. - **Economic pressure:** Rising health costs weigh on both employers and employees. By focusing on prevention, Alan aims to improve outcomes and reduce costs. It's a shift from simply reimbursing claims to actively supporting policyholders' health journeys. ### What This Means for the Industry The message is clear: prevention is no longer a nice-to-have. It's a condition for survival. Insurers that can engage policyholders daily, leverage technology for personalization, and build trust through human expertise will be the ones that thrive in this new landscape. As the discussions at France FinTech showed, the path forward requires collaboration between insurers, fintechs, and assurtechs. It's about creating a ecosystem where prevention is measurable, personalized, and genuinely useful. And ultimately, that's good news for everyone—because an insurance model that's sustainable is one that can protect us all.