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Hospitals to increase specialisationMonday 04 July 2011 Dutch hospitals will next year begin specialising in specific treatments and will no longer offer all areas of medicine under a new agreement reached between health minister Edith Schippers, insurance companies and hospital bosses. The plan means some patients will have to travel to other parts of the country for treatment, the Volkskrant says in its report on the deal. At the moment, the Netherlands’ 100 plus general hospitals offer a complete range of treatment, but Schippers believes quality can be improved and costs cut by more specialisation. This is because expensive equipment will be better utilised and doctors will build up more experience. The move is also part of Schipper’s decision to increase competition between hospitals, by allowing them to complete more on price. Health insurers will also be able to make more bulk agreements with hospitals for specific treatment. This could lead to patients being required to attend a specific hospital where their insurance company has an agreement, the Volkskrant says. Hospital costs have been rising by up to 7% a year. The minister hopes increased competition will limit the increase to 5.3%. © DutchNews.nl
@Kevin: Yes, you are right. The Netherlands is becoming America Junior right before our eyes. Yay? By Maru | July 4, 2011 12:42 PM Yeaah... They need to know there are a lot of medical treatments out there beside paracetamol. By Maurice | July 4, 2011 5:42 PM Those who do not learn from the (recent US) past are doomed to repeat it. By Patrick | July 4, 2011 6:45 PM And yet the US provides some of the best health care available in the world. The issue there isn't the quality of the treatment but the cost and the fact that so many can no longer afford it. Part of the reason for the cost - by the way - is the ridiculous cost of medical malpractice insurance since so many people who don't have a perfect outcome try to win the lottery with a multi-million dollar malpractice suit. And part of the reason is that US companies engage in a disproportionate amount of the expensive medical research that ultimately benefits the whole world - but it's the US patient and/or tax-payer who funds it. By tls | July 4, 2011 9:29 PM
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hmm. I have to say that all of these reforms are pretty much the same junk-reforms made in the US over the last 30 years. -that is to say handouts to large corporations under the guise of cutting costs and eliminating inefficiencies. Anyone who is wondering what Holland will be like under your VVD/PVV overlords need only look to the US for answers on the realities of neo-liberal and neo-conservative 'reforms'.
By Kevin | July 4, 2011 9:08 AM