Stuck in the middle?

Daan Westra, Gloria Wilbers and Federica Angeli

Health Policy, 2016, vol. 120, issue 4, 345-349

Abstract: Pro-competitive reforms have been implemented in many Western healthcare systems, of which the Netherlands is a prominent example. While the pro-competitive reforms in the Dutch specialized care sector have drawn considerable academic attention, mental health care is often excluded. However, in line with other segments of specialized care, pro-competitive legislation has formed the core of mental health care reforms, albeit with several notable differences. Ever since mental health services were included in the Health Insurance Act in 2008, the Dutch mental healthcare sector has been in an ongoing state of reform. Numerous major and minor adaptations have continuously altered the services covered by the basic insurance package, the actors responsible for providing and contracting care, and definitions and measurements of quality. Most notably, insurers and municipalities, which are responsible for selectively contracting those providers that offer high value-for-money, seem insensitive to quality aspects. The question whether the Dutch mental health sector has inherited the best or the worst of a competitive and non-competitive system lingers and international policy makers contemplating reforming their mental health sector should take note.

Keywords: Health care reform; Mental health services; Psychiatric services; Managed competition; Quality of health care; Health policy; Netherlands (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:120:y:2016:i:4:p:345-349

DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2016.02.014

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