A Dictionary of Dutchness

DBC

The DBC (Diagnose Behandel Combinatie) is an extremely complicated system used to calculate healthcare costs. Each potential step in a course of treatment (there are over 30,000) has been given an average price. The aim is to make it easier to compare hospital charges. In practice, doctors say they spend too much time filling in forms, insurers say there is too much fraud and patients are too often paying for treatment they have not had.