The Dutch health insurers announced their healthcare premiums for 2019. Not one insurer lowered their premiums, but Promovendum and Besured kept their premiums the same, NU.nl reports.
The four largest insurers Zilveren Kruis (Achmea), VGZ, CZ and Menzis are increasing their basic health insurance premiums by 7.50 euros, 4.75 euros, 8.55 euros and 3 euros per month respectively. An outlier is PNOzorg, which is increasing the premium for its basic package by 17.74 euros per month.
Two of the four large health insurers warned that it is no longer possible for them to keep health care premiums equal, or increase them only slightly. Consumers may face a big premium increase next year, according to insurers CZ and Achmea, RTL Nieuws reports.
The first two blockchain babies were born in the Netherlands last week. Health insurer VGZ is experimenting with an app using this technology, mainly known for cryptocurrency, to reduce the administrative burden in maternity care, Financieele Dagblad reports.
Health insurance firm CZ has announced a monthly premium rate hike of three percent for the price of compulsory basic health insurance package. The rate hike will take effect from January.
The bump in CZ rates means Netherlands residents will pay 40 euros more for the year, compared to 2017 rates. The provider blames the rise on growing health care costs, saying that the entire increase was not passed on to the consumer, and that the company will have to tap 221 million euros from its own pocket to cover the shortfall.
Doctors and medical specialists in the Netherlands more often prescribe more expensive drugs if the drugs are from the pharmaceutical company that pays their sponsorship money, according to a study done by the Volkskrant and health insurer VGZ.
According to consumers association Consumentenbond, the Dutch health insurers have more than 3.3 billion euros in "extra" reserves, even though they're making less profits. The association calls on the insurers to stop "hoarding unnecessarily" and "do everything to reduce the premium increases", ANP reports.
Figures from last year show that the four big insurers CZ, VGZ, Achmea and Menzis made half the profit they did in 2014. "But the four still managed to put 307 million into the reserve port in 2015", Bart Combee, director of the Consumentenbond said.
More and more Dutch are confused about what exactly falls under the healthcare deductibles they have to pay, according to a study done by TNS NIPO on behalf of health insurer VGZ
Insurer VGZ and the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen plan to reduce healthcare costs by spending more time with patients during consultations with doctors. According to them, the pressure to reduce costs in medical care actually leads to more treatments and therefore increased costs
Nearly 20 percent of Dutch people say that they have delayed or avoided medical care in 2015 as they are afraid it will cost them too much cash out of pocket. Higher deductibles in in some insurance policies is the primary concern, according to a study conducted by TNS and commissioned by health insurer VGZ.
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.
