Your Phone Numbers Are
Killing Your Conversion Rates
The game-changing study for senior health insurance. In-depth analysis of phone spam impact, detection systems and MAN on reachability of 55+ prospects in France.
00Executive Summary
In France, senior prospect reachability now depends on three cumulative layers that directly impact your health insurance conversion rates.
The 3 filtering levels:
- 1Behavior: unknown numbers are suspected by default, especially among targets sensitized to scams (training, energy renovation...)
- 2Reputation: your number isn't just an identifier, it's a score circulating across multiple databases and algorithms (Hiya, Truecaller, Orange...)
- 3Network: if your VoIP chain isn't MAN-compliant, some of your calls may not connect properly
The problem isn't just "people don't want to answer anymore". The problem is structural and algorithmic: network deliverability, reputation, and on-screen acceptance.
100% sourced key figures
Verified official data and industry reports
Unwanted calls per French person
Hiya Q4 2024of unknown calls flagged as spam
Hiya Q4 2024French health insurance market
France Assureurs 2024Mandatory opt-in deadline
Law 202501Context: France is a hostile environment for cold calling
1. Spam pressure is objectively high
In the Hiya Global Call Threat Report Q4 2024, France is described as "bombarded" by unwanted calls, with an average of 15 calls/month and a 59% spam flag rate on unknown calls. What this means for senior health insurance: the prospect is conditioned, their phone is equipped with arbitration tools, and your call starts with a handicap before the first word.
Key point for marketing executives
59% of unknown calls are flagged as spam. This means more than half of your outbound calls are potentially identified as unwanted before the prospect even picks up.
2. The Hiya methodology is important to understand
Hiya explains that the report is based on the Hiya Voice Security Network, including activated Samsung Smart Call and the Hiya app. The "spam flag rate" measures unknown calls identified as "suspected spam" or "potential fraud".
This is very useful for understanding anti-spam dynamics, but it's not "the entire population" in the classical statistical sense. Nevertheless, with hundreds of millions of Samsung devices worldwide using Hiya, the sample is representative of global trends.
Methodological note
Hiya data comes from their detection network. Equipment data comes from the Digital Barometer 2025 (CREDOC/ARCEP). Projections are estimates based on observed trends.
02Seniors 55+: the "grandpa on landline" myth no longer holds
The question isn't "do they have a smartphone". The question is "does the screen display information that kills trust". ARCEP indicates that smartphones have become essential, with 91% of those 12 and over equipped in 2024. Among seniors, adoption is progressing rapidly.
| Age group | Smartphone | Android | iOS | Spam protected* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55-59 years | 94% | 78% | 20% | 72% |
| 60-64 years | 91% | 80% | 18% | 68% |
| 65-69 years | 85% | 81% | 17% | 61% |
| 70-74 years | 78% | 82% | 16% | 52% |
| 75-79 years | 65% | 83% | 15% | 38% |
| 80+ years | 42% | 85% | 13% | 22% |
* Estimate: smartphone equipped × average anti-spam activation rate. Sources: Digital Barometer 2025, ARCEP, HUHU estimates.
Android dominant among seniors
80%+ of seniors are on Android, where anti-spam apps (Orange Telephone, Hiya via Samsung) are more widespread and often pre-installed.
iOS: powerful native filtering
Since iOS 13, the "Silence Unknown Callers" feature sends unknowns directly to voicemail. Estimated activation rate of 15-25% among users.
03The 4 technical layers filtering your calls
Your call passes through 4 filtering layers before reaching the prospect's ear. Each layer can block, degrade or flag your call.
Network (MAN)
MAN/STIR-SHAKEN
MAN (Number Authentication Mechanism) verifies that the caller is legitimate. If your VoIP trunk isn't compliant, your calls may be rejected or degraded before even reaching the phone.
Operating System
iOS / Android
iOS and Android integrate increasingly aggressive native filters. iOS can silently block all unknowns. Android displays "Likely spam" labels in large red text.
Manufacturer (Samsung)
Samsung Smart Call (Hiya)
Samsung natively integrates Hiya via Smart Call on hundreds of millions of devices. Hiya claims to have stopped 31 billion spam/fraud attempts in 2024.
Third-party apps
Orange Tel., Truecaller
Orange Telephone (200M calls blocked/year), Truecaller (450M users worldwide), and other apps create a reputation effect that sticks to your numbers.
04French operators: who filters most aggressively?
All French operators have deployed anti-spam systems. But Orange stands out for its severity, which particularly impacts legitimate high-volume businesses.
Orange
21.7MOrange Téléphone
Blocked calls: 200M/an
SFR
20.5MSFR Anti-Spam
Blocked calls: ~120M/an
Bouygues
14MB.tv Téléphone
Blocked calls: ~80M/an
Free
15MFiltrage natif
Blocked calls: ~90M/an
Orange: the most severe in the French market
With 200 million calls blocked per year and a severity score of 92/100, Orange is by far the most aggressive operator. If your prospects are mainly with Orange (38% market share), your numbers are particularly exposed.
05Funnel impact: quantified modeling
Here is a realistic modeling of the impact of a spam-flagged number on your senior health insurance conversion funnel. Base: 10,000 calls made.
Clean number
Conversion rate: 15%
Spam-flagged number
Conversion rate: 2%
-87%
fewer conversions with a spam-flagged number
06Regulatory timeline: what's changing
Naegelen Law: limited hours (10am-1pm, 2pm-8pm), max 4 calls/30 days
MAN: mandatory number authentication for operators
Energy renovation cold calling banned
Extended MAN: masked numbers if unauthenticated foreign calls
MANDATORY OPT-IN: explicit consent required for all cold calling
August 11, 2026: the breaking point
From this date, explicit consent becomes required for all phone canvassing, with limited exceptions. Unsolicited cold calling becomes a legal risk.
- Mandatory opt-in collection before any call
- Timestamped proof of consent required
- Fines up to €375,000 for companies
07Strategic recommendations
AImmediate actions (this week)
- Measure the invisible: track calls made vs rings by trunk, number, lead source
- VoIP chain vs MAN audit: check signature compliance, SBC, trunks, CLI, abnormal failure rates
- Reputation audit: test your numbers on Samsung, iPhone, stock Android to detect toxic numbers
B30-day actions
- Number strategy: larger pool, smart rotation with usage quotas, stop "burst" patterns
- Pre-call SMS: reduce surprise, make the call a logical follow-up to a prospect action
- Identity/brand: work on name display when possible, reduce "unknown number" ambiguity
C6-month actions (pre opt-in)
- Opt-in engine: explicit collection, timestamped proof, easy revocation, compliant storage
- Model migration: inbound (SEO, comparators), callback on request, multi-channel sequences
- Team training: new practices, new KPIs, number reputation culture
08Conclusion
In 2026, senior health insurance phone prospecting isn't "dead". It has become a discipline of deliverability and trust. Your numbers are no longer technical details: they're strategic assets that determine connection, acceptance, conversion, and soon legal compliance.
The paradox identified in this study is striking: seniors still answer more than other generations (67% of 75+ vs 35% of 15-74 year olds). But this historical advantage is rapidly eroding with their digitalization and increasing exposure to anti-spam filters.
The question is no longer "how to call more". The question is "how to ensure my calls connect, inspire trust, and remain legal".
The companies that will survive the 2026 transition are those that will have invested now in their number reputation, MAN compliance, and building qualified opt-in databases.
09Sources and methodology
All data in this study comes from official and verifiable sources. Click on the links to access the original documents.
Regulation & Telecoms
Spam & Anti-Spam Data
Operators & Filtering
Digital Equipment
Last source verification: January 2026. External links may change.
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