The four parties in talks on forming a new Dutch government do not want the planned rise in the health insurance own-risk element to go up to €400. Chief negotiator Gerrit Zalm has written to health minister Edith Schippers to say the four parties oppose the increase. He has taken the unusual step because any change has to be made formal in law by October 1. The size of the own-risk payment – currently €385 – is important for health insurance companies when they determine what premiums to charge patients next year. Patients have to first spend €385 on healthcare themselves before they can claim on their health insurance for treatment. Caretaker health minister Edith Schippers says the decision not to increase the own risk means that all adults will have to pay an extra €10 a year in premiums. She had earlier indicated that premiums would go up by an average of €6 a month. The government determines what is covered in the basic healthcare insurance package but insurers are free to set their own fees.  More >

  Plastic recycling initiatives are doing little for the environment, according to a report published on Wednesday. The CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Analysis has analysed the effects of Dutch recycling processes, and concludes they result in low-grade plastic with limited uses, saving the country just 0.15% in equivalent carbon emissions. Some materials like films – it adds – are simply burned, as they aren’t suitable to recycle. So, says the report ‘The plastics circular economy: from raw material to waste’, local areas should spend more on processes to select better quality plastic for reprocessing. More plastic than fish There is international concern about the increasing use of plastic and pollution, particularly in the water chain. By 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean, according to a recent report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The Dutch research, commissioned by the infrastructure, environment and finance ministries, suggests that the material now makes up 90% of packaging, and when people area charged for their waste, many put it in the compost. But even bioplastics, made from things other than oil, generally don’t break down naturally. ‘Recycling is not a solution to litter and the plastic soup,’ the report adds. Key time The report suggests more international rules limiting the use of the material in things like cosmetics, better filtering of groundwater, and a more extensive deposit system so customers return packaging to stores. It echoes concerns expressed by environment agencies and waste firms in recent months that the ‘Plastic Heroes’ recycling system – which reportedly costs €150 million a year – is anything but heroic. The report comes at a key time when a new coalition is trying to finalise its manifesto, with major differences on the environment between the four parties involved.  More >

Some 40% of people who have job-related health issues are either over-stressed or suffering from a burn-out, according to new figures from the national work-related disease register, compiled by the AMC teaching hospital in Amsterdam. In total, 6,270 reports of work-related illness were registered, most of which affected either men or the over-45s. Reports were made to the centre by 863 company doctors. People working in construction, transport and logistics, the financial services, industry and healthcare are the most vulnerable to work-related health problems. In total, 42% of complaints had a psychiatric basis. Next on the list were muscle and movement-related problems (27%) followed by hearing issues (22%). In total, 161 people per 100,000 workers were diagnosed with a work-related illness last year. In 70% of cases, people are declared 100% or partially unfit for work.   More >

The fees that the frail elderly pay for help in their own homes can vary by up to €500 a year, depending on where people live, according to new research on behalf of five organisations representing pensioners. The organisations compared the cost of home care across 12 local authority areas as well as water rates, car tax and other council taxes. They found that despite the wide differences in council fees, the elderly are still paying less towards their care costs in 2017 than they did in 2016, due to changes in government policy. The maximum contribution for wealthy pensioners fell 40% to €2,500 a year while the poorest paid no more than €600, a drop of 17% on a year ago. Local authorities have been responsible for organising home care since 2015 and charge pensioners a contribution for home helps, meals services, walking aids and improvements designed to help them live at home longer. The lowest charge recorded by the researchers was in Amsterdam at just over €2,000 for wealthy pensioners and €466 for those with the lowest incomes.  More >