Health minister Helder will not ban private investors

Health minister Conny Helder will not ban private investors (private equity) in the healthcare sector. Such a ban could endanger the continuity and accessibility of care, the outgoing minister wrote to the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of parliament. The minister states that such a ban also infringes on the European free movement of capital.

"The necessity and proportionality of such a measure requires a solid substantiation to be legally tenable," Helder writes. She currently sees insufficient starting points for this. The minister says less drastic measures can be taken to reduce possible risks.

The Tweede Kamer has long been very concerned about the rise of private investors, who mainly want to make as much profit as possible. Patients are suffering from this as a result, the lower house of parliament thinks.

MPs often cite the commercial GP chain Co-Med as an example. In recent months, patients and others have been complaining about poor accessibility. Major financial problems brought Co-Med to the brink of bankruptcy, which the chain managed to escape at the last minute this week.

Helder ignores the various calls from the Tweede Kamer to impose a ban on private investors. "At the same time, I certainly understand the risks involved in balancing too much financial interest for the healthcare provider against the public interest in healthcare."

The health minister wants to tighten existing regulations with a focus on safeguarding public interests. She wants to do this through the Integrative Business Operations of Healthcare and Youth Care Providers Act (Wibz), which has now been submitted to the Council of State for consultation. This sets a standard for ethical business operations. The bill also limits profit distribution in healthcare and youth care, including checking the legality of declarations.