Universal Mandatory Health Insurance In The Netherlands: A Model For The United States? (original) (raw)

Universal private health insurance in the Netherlands: The first year

Journal of Management & Marketing in Healthcare, 2008

In 2006, a single mandatory private health insurance scheme with flat-rate contributions and tax compensation was established in the Netherlands. All health insurers now operate under private law, compete with other private insurers and are allowed to make profits and pay dividends to shareholders. The implementation of the scheme shows that an incremental approach to reform can bring about fundamental changes, and that while such a change is demanding on all stakeholders, it is manageable. The reform has had great influence on the relative positions and roles of health insurers, patients and healthcare providers, illustrated by the fact that around 20 per cent of citizens changed insurer within one year. The empowered insured are the clear winners, as they now have more choice and influence. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see whether a government looking to reduce its role in the healthcare system can truly safeguard the accessibility and quality of the system when the players increasingly start behaving as market-driven for-profit companies. In this regard, the question whether a health insurer can be the agent for patients and the insured, ie whether their interests are truly aligned, will be crucial to the long-term success of this reform.

Evaluating Reforms in the Netherlands' Competitive Health Insurance System

Eurohealth, 2012

Eurohealth is a quarterly publication that provides a forum for researchers, experts and policymakers to express their views on health policy issues and so contribute to a constructive debate in Europe and beyond. The views expressed in Eurohealth are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies or any of its partners.

The Swiss and Dutch Health Insurance Systems: Universal Coverage and Regulated Competitive Insurance Markets

2000

As the United States resumes debate over options for achieving universal health coverage, policymakers are once again examining insurance systems in other industrialized countries. More recent attention has focused on countries that combine universal coverage with private insurance and regulated market competition. Switzerland and the Netherlands, in particular, have drawn attention for their use of individual mandates combined with public

Private health insurance in the Netherlands: A Case Study

OECD Health Working Papers, 2004

The Health Insurance Reform in the Netherlands and its Relevance for Mexico

Well-being and Social Policy, vol. 7 (1), p. 1-22, 2011

Two main versions of the organization of health insurance are observed throughout the world: employment-based social security, and a national health service. Latin-America often uses the former, but remains far from universal coverage. A rather peculiar mix of public obligations with private responsibilities is found in the Netherlands. Universal coverage is achieved through a mandatory health insurance carried out by privately organized competing insurers. Competition among insurers attracting consumers and contracting care providers should guarantee low prices and high quality. After five years of experience, discussion about the achievements continues, but nobody proposes a return to the pre-2006 system. The apparent success in the Netherlands does not imply that a similar system can be introduced right-away in Mexico, because most of the preconditions are not satisfied yet. Nevertheless, several useful observations can be made.

Universal Mandatory Health Insurance In The Netherlands: A Model For The United States? (original) (raw)

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