Health Minister, care groups reach deal to protect healthcare funding after cabinet fall
Health care parties and the Minister of Health, Daniëlle Jansen of Nieuw Sociaal Contract (NSC), have reached an agreement to keep Dutch health care affordable in the coming years, sources confirmed Wednesday to RTL. The deal follows months of delays caused by political disputes and the fall of the cabinet.
Negotiations stalled after disagreements between former Health Minister Agema of the PVV and interim Prime Minister Schoof. The situation worsened when the cabinet collapsed, blocking Agema from finalizing the agreement in the final week before her resignation. PVV leader Geert Wilders called on PVV ministers to step down, preventing Agema from closing the deal. For several days, NSC member Eddy van Hijum temporarily took over the portfolio until Jansen was appointed demissionary minister two weeks ago.
Despite the political turmoil, health parties and the government agreed to introduce the shingles vaccine into the National Immunization Program and allocate funding for MRI scans for women with very dense breast tissue. The agreement also commits 400 million euros over two years for so-called breakthrough medicines aimed at increasing health care efficiency through artificial intelligence, technology, and innovation.
Funding was a major sticking point in earlier talks between the Finance Ministry and the Health Ministry. Agema had threatened to resign unless the 400 million euros became a permanent investment. The compromise reportedly ties permanent funding to a positive evaluation after two years.
After Monday’s ministerial council, Jansen stressed the deal’s urgency, saying, “The whole field is waiting for this. It is really very necessary.” The agreement builds on the 2022 Integral Health Care Agreement, which seeks to keep care accessible and affordable while tackling growing staff shortages.
Key organizations involved include the National General Practitioners Association, the Dutch Hospital Association, and the Dutch Health Insurers. The parties aim to reduce administrative burdens on health care workers. Increasing staff training is also a priority.
