Holland’s hospitals have claimed €1.5bn too much from insurance companies over the past three years, the Volkskrant reports on Friday. Insurers have given the hospitals until October 1 to come up with a plan to pay back the money.

If no deal is reached, then the further liberalisation of hospital fees should be put on ice, the insurance companies say.
The problems stem largely from a new system of hospital pricing based on the average charge of treatment known as a dbc.