Health minister could split up healthcare authority

Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), Edith Schippers will consider the recommendation made by the committee headed by Hans Borstlap that the NZa should be split up.

The largest part of the report was revealed yesterday. The report is scathing about the state of affairs at the NZa. In the report it states that the regulator should be split up. At the moment the NZa both creates the rules for the health care market, and monitors whether they are being followed. These tasks cannot be performed by the same organization, the report stated.

The report also showed that the VWS interferes with the work of the regulator. It was revealed yesterday that the VWS put pressure on the NZa to provide 100 million euros to the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. Such individual cases should not be handled by the Ministry, NRC reports

The report is described by the Minister as thorough, but according to news agency Novum, she avoids the criticism her ministry receives in the report - VWS is interfering in the work of the NZa. Schippers acknowledged that occasionally borders are sought, but that both parties act within the applicable responsibilities distributions.

Schippers endorsed the recommendations on ICT and human resources. The minister wants the NZa to come up with a plan to fully address the shortcomings within three months.