Patients will retain the right to choose their own doctor, physiotherapist and pharmacy, despite changes in health insurance legislation, the Telegraaf reports on Tuesday.

Sources told the paper the two coalition parties and three opposition parties have reached an agreement that will maintain freedom of choice for primary care, despite fears this is on the way out.

On Monday, one family doctor association said it planned to go on a short strike in protest at the plans to give health insurance companies more control over policyholders’ treatment.

Cut costs

The government believes it can cut healthcare spending by giving insurance companies more power to sign contracts with providers, which it believes will force down prices and improve services.

Despite the u-turn on family doctors, health insurers will have more say over which psychologists and mental health practitioners are covered, the Telegraaf says. This is to cut out cowboys who provide poor or unsubstantiated treatment at high cost.

To achieve this, health minister Edith Schippers is planning to give health insurance companies the power to refuse to pay bills which they consider are too expensive. At the moment, they are required by law to cover 80% of the fees of practitioners with whom they do not have a contract.

New policy

On Monday evening, Schippers told Radio 1 she wants to introduce a third sort of health insurance policy which would remove freedom of choice for patients but which would be cheaper. Schippers was answering questions about her plans to allow health insurance companies to restrict access to some providers.

“You can choose the policy you want,” the minister said. “A third type is being worked out for people who no longer want to pay for poor or badly-targeted care.”

There are currently two types of health insurance available.

Patients with a natura policy are only supposed to use healthcare providers who have a contract with their health insurance company. If they use a different provider, they will have to pay part of the bill themselves.

The restitution policy gives patients complete freedom of choice and is more expensive.

Four big health insurance companies control 90% of the market.