DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

1 June 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Family doctors reach agreement with health insurers

October 5, 2015

healthinsuranceinthenetherlands2Health insurers will interfer less in the care offered by family doctors and will stop offering financial incentives to use particular treatments.

This is the result of an agreement reached on Monday by doctors, insurers, the health ministry and health organisations.

Family doctors have been very unhappy about the contracts they are being asked to sign by health insurance companies.

No alternative

Doctors have to sign contracts with health insurers to ensure their patients are covered for treatment. But many say insurance companies are unwilling to negotiate while others sign the deals because they feel they have no alternative, a survey in January by the doctors’ association LHV found.

Since 2006, health insurers have been tasked by the health ministry with bringing down the cost of health care.  As a result, contracts with family doctors have included rewards being coupled to the prescribing of specific anti-depressants, regardless of what suits the patient.

Some family doctors are also being rewarded for using research labs with which the health insurer has a contract.

Many doctors were furious about these contracts, seeing them as moving patient care from the surgery to the insurer.

Major changes

The new agreement brings in three important and major changes. Family doctors will have more equality with insurers and more flexibility in what treatments they can offer.

In addition, bureaucracy will be decreased by scrapping unnecessary administration, and a less time-consuming method for checking the quality of doctors will be introduced.

‘Health insurers will again trust the expertise of the family doctor,’ doctors’ association LHV chairwoman Ella Kalsbeek told the NRC. ‘That is very important. It will give doctors more time for what is most important: care of the patient,’

 

 

 

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Health
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Dutch government websites still reliant on US cloud services
Ni hao! Amsterdam educational book sparks racism complaints
Artist Bas Kosters on the serious business of creating joy
Warm end to May, slightly cooler start to meteorological summer
From rooftops to refugee artists: 11 great things to do in June
NewsHomeEconomyArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now