Health Care in the Netherlands
A Model Insurance System Emerges After a Massive Overhall in 2006
Oct 7, 2009
By most accounts life is good in the Netherlands, and the Dutch are seemingly masters of their domain as by most world standards they are both healthy and wealthy. The wise part of that equation may be afforded to "the Dutch parliament which instituted a massive overhaul of their health care system to cut costs four years ago, and as a result health care became more accessible and affordable to everyone. While at the same time keeping a competitive edge within the health insurance industry so that a difference could be made on the side of both quality and prices." This assessment from Abraham Klink the Minister of Health in the Netherlands during an interview with The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, also went along with the requirement that everyone had to buy health insurance and change from a system that was a public-private partnership in charge of managing the country's health care to one that became made up of just private health insurance companies.
Three Main Goals in the Design of the Netherlands 2006 Health Care Plan
According to Minister Klink, there were three main goals of the reforms that took place in 2006:
- Maintain universal health care coverage
- Unleash competition between private health insurance companies
- Keep down costs for everyone, (especially the poor) for the long term
Consequently, every citizen is required to pay for a basic health care package that typically costs about $US160.00 a month and the health insurance companies are required to offer the same prices to all customers regardless of age or medical history, with low income people having their health care premiums subsidized. Those who would like to to be able to access more health care related services can choose a better and more costly heath care coverage package. These higher premiums would cover things like dental, cosmetic surgery, or physical therapy, with the highest level of care being an all-inclusive package covering everything.
However with prices being held down to the same standards for everyone, the thinking goes that in order to keep customers the health insurers would have to compete in terms of who can provide the better health care services in order to retain the most customers. And according to Roger Von Boxtel CEO of Menzis, one of the Netherlands largest health care organizations, "There can be no discrimination, if you're ill, old, or young. We have to accept everybody. And I think that is one of the big differences with the United States. We have a level playing field and we have to compete," Von Boxtel said.
U.S. Health Care has Good Programs as Well
Although contrary to popular belief, some U.S. state's public health programs and some U.S. private health insurers do have progressive cost effective programs. For example, In the state of Minnesota a public/private run heath care program called Minnesota Care offers basic health and dental coverage to income qualifying individuals for a very low monthly premium that typically runs under $US50.00 for an individual and families. This programs gives people the option to choose from amongst the state of Minnesota's best health care providers and offers options of coverage.
In addition, a private heath coverage option which also has taken hold in Minnesota is one that involves health care co-operatives that are not-for-profit companies that offer health coverage to individuals through their employers or through a public option like Minnesota Care. One such company that has been very successful in Minnesota is Health Partners. Due to the Minnesota company's overwhelming success, it as well as a number of other highly touted U.S. health care co-operatives and health care systems like the one in the Netherlands are being looked at as models to help overhaul the U.S. health care system.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
