Private Health Insurance in the Netherlands: A Case Study

Nicole Tapay and Francesca Colombo

No 18, OECD Health Working Papers from OECD Publishing

Abstract: Private health insurance (PHI) is the sole source of primary health coverage for a third of the Netherlands’ population earning above a set income threshold. Social insurance (together with limited public (tax-based financing) is the main source of health coverage for the majority of the population. Most socially insured also purchase supplementary private health coverage. All citizens are eligible for a system of coverage for long-term care and care for the chronically ill. Thus, in the Netherlands, the source of health financing is determined according to the category of health risk, type of illness, as well as income level. Decisions have been made allocating the cost of more expensive long-term care and coverage of high-risk individuals and persons earning below a set level, to social or public insurance, or to PHI subsidised by a broader pool. From an equity perspective, the Dutch public/private financing mix appears to do well, although challenges remain. There appear to be ... Pour les Néerlandais situés dans le tiers supérieur de l’échelle des revenus, l’assurance maladie privée constitue l’unique source de couverture maladie primaire. L’assurance sociale (et, dans une mesure restreinte, certains financements publics d’origine fiscale) représente pour sa part la principale source de couverture maladie pour la majorité de la population. La plupart des affiliés au régime social sont également titulaires d’une couverture maladie privée supplémentarité. Tous les citoyens sont admissibles à une couverture pour soins de longue durée, et les soins aux malades chroniques sont également couverts. Aux Pays-Bas, la source de financement des soins de santé est donc déterminée selon la catégorie de risque de santé, le type de maladie ainsi que le niveau de revenu. La décision a été prise d’allouer les coûts induits par les soins de longue durée (plus onéreux), les personnes à haut risque et les personnes gagnant moins d’un certain revenu à l’assurance sociale ou ...

JEL-codes: I11 I18 I19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2004-12-16
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-ias
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