Health Min. wants care cost, quality clarity

Minister Edith Schippers (Public Health, Welfare and Sports) presented a plan yesterday to provide patients with more and better information on the quality and cost of their healthcare in the coming years. The plan involves a large number of actions to inform patients about where they can expect what quality of care, what questions to ask their doctor and what a treatment will cost in advance. The minister also made an extra 5 million euros per year available for the plan, which was developed in close collaboration with patients, doctors, health insurers and the Quality Institution. The plan involves the treatment guidelines of doctors being summarized in plain language, decision aids that will help patients choose between treatment options and the website ZorgKaartNederland.nl where patients can share their experiences. There will also be educational materials in waiting rooms and information on hundreds of treatments will be put on the website Kiesbeter.nl. Insurers will buy in on healthcare based on quality requirements, which will be determined by patients and doctors and registered by the Quality Institute. A complete overview of all the actions in this plan can be downloded here.