Health insurer DSW is lowering its premiums and mandatory own-risk deductibles for next year, in a move that went against the expectation of politicians and the insurer itself.
In 2018 the DSW premium for a basic health insurance package will be 1,290 euros per year, or 107,50 euros per month, NU.nl reports. That is six euros less annually. Mandatory own-risk deductibles will decrease from 385 euros to 375 euros.
Health insurance will be more expensive in the Netherlands next year due to an unexpected setback, Chris Oomen, CEO of insurer DSW, said to Radio 1 Journaal on Friday morning. Due to a deficit of 400 million euros, premiums will increase by an average of 30 euros per year, ANP reports.
"Income from the health insurance fund fell out lower in 2016. That resulted in a deficit of 400 million euros", Oomen said. "This will have to be compensated for in the premiums. Because our reserves are decreasing because of this and therefore we can not keep our premiums low."
The government will not compensate people losing purchasing power if the health insurance premiums turn out to be higher than expected, Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem of Finance said in a debate on the 2017 budget on Wednesday
Dutch parliamentarians are shocked and outraged by the high premium increase health insurer DSW announced on Monday. The insurer announced an increase of 9.4 percent, much higher than the 3.5 percent the Ministry of Health predicted on Budget Day.
The first health insurer announced its premium increase for 2017 to the Telegraaf on Tuesday. DSW is increasing its premiums from 98.75 euros to 108 euros per month - an increase of 9.4 percent, much higher than the 3.5 percent the government predicted on Budget Day.
The Dutch health insurers have announced their price increases for next year. And all of the increases are lower than the average of 7 extra euros a month the Ministry of Health announced on Prinsjesdag.
Health insurer DSW will raise their basic annual healthcare package costs in 2016 by about 45 euros for the entire year, lower than the 58 euro increase predicted by the health ministry. compared to that of the Ministry of Health which will increase its premiums by 58 euros. This will be the fourth consecutive year that DSW has announced premiums lower than that of the Ministry.
DSW Insurance is receiving daily complaints from patients who do not want to pay the pharmacy consultancy charge. This is according to DSW director Chris Oomen in response to reports that nearly half of all pharmacy assistants deal wit aggressive patients on a daily basis.
Two thirds of the 11 thousand doctors in the Netherlands have had enough of the unending amount of administrative work they have to deal with every day for the health insurance companies. They feel this takes time that they could have spent with patients and that something must be done.
The Netherlands' second-largest health insurer, VGZ, has said the premium they will charge for the mandatory basic health insurance package will rise between six and 14 percent next year. The firm offers three different basic insurances, which will cost between €97.95 and €113.95 per month.
Cancer patient Nol van Bekhoven was told that he had until the Spring to live according to Dutch doctors. He has survived past Spring and well into Summer, and is even tumor-free after going to Belgium for treatment, the Algemeen Dagblad reports.
Health care fraud occurs for many millions, using doctors' personal declaration codes, says RTL News.
