Subsidized health care deductibles to cost Dutch gov’t €4.5 billion

The costs to get rid of the own risk healthcare deductibles will cost 4.5 billion euros, according to calculations by the Central Planning Bureau. Previous calculations said 3.7 billion euros, ANP reports. The higher cost can be attributed to higher healthcare expenditure per person and an increase in the number of people insured. Another factor is that the deductible will be increased to 450 euros per person in 2020, if the current plan to reduce health care costs does not succeed. SP, GroenLinks and 50Plus all called for scrapping the healthcare deductibles in their campaigns for next year's elections. The PvdA and CDA are calling for at least a reduction. A few weeks ago the Ministry of Health calculated that scrapping the own risk deductibles will result in a health insurance premium increase of about 284 euros per person per year. That calculation still worked on the assumption that eliminating deductibles will cost below 4 billion euros.