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The Netherlands has private healthcare and private insurance companies and has the second best healthcare system in Europe. The price per capita is on Northern/

The Netherlands has private healthcare and private insurance companies and has the second best healthcare system in Europe. The price per capita is on Northern/Western European average at 5300 USD per person. World-wide we are the 8th most expensive country per capita which seems fair given our high wages. So even though we have the second best healthcare system and pay an average price for it, people still want to nationalise our system and revert the privatisation. Because "privatisation bad". It truly baffles me that people think it will be for the best. Perhaps the price will go down to the 4100 USD per capita that the nationalised UK system has has but I'm sure our quality would also drop to UK levels (16th place in Euro Health Consumer Index).

alistairSH 7y ago
Do you happen to know what's different between the model in the Netherlands vs the US? Is the insurance provided by employers? In the US, most plans are provided and heavily subsidized by the employer (because the tax code makes that palatable vs paying employees more). Do you have co-pays or deductibles? If so, how large are they? In past decades in the US, good plans had fairly low costs to the consumer ($20 GP visit, $50 ER visit was common). These days, because costs have gone up, many plans have converted to high deductibles with dedicated savings plans ($5000/year per individual OOP, but the person is allowed to save into a tax-deferred account that's a lot like our 401k retirement system, just used for health care).
- systemtest 7y ago
  Employers pay the biggest source of income of our healthcare system through the zorgverzekeringswet. They pay around 6% on the income of their employees next to the income tax. Second biggest part are the private insurance companies that sell insurance for around €90 to €200 per month. The yearly deductible for all healthcare in the base package is €385 to €885, you can set this deductible yourself. Dental and physiotherapy are separate from general healthcare and have their own insurances and payment structures. They are all privately owned facilities. I usually pay my physiotherapist around €40 for a 30 minute session so I don't need insurance for it. But if you have regular appointments it would make sense to get private insurance for it. We don't have a lot of co-pay (eigen bijdrage). There are some parts in regard to post-natal care where a co-pay is required. Also on hearing aids, dentures, orthopaedic shoes, medicine and non-ambulance transportation to a health facility.
pjc50 7y ago
Surely there's more of a rationale than just "privatisation bad"? That's the strawman version of the argument. How often are people denied coverage or put into bad financial circumstances?

alistairSH 7y ago

Do you happen to know what's different between the model in the Netherlands vs the US? Is the insurance provided by employers? In the US, most plans are provided and heavily subsidized by the employer (because the tax code makes that palatable vs paying employees more). Do you have co-pays or deductibles? If so, how large are they? In past decades in the US, good plans had fairly low costs to the consumer ($20 GP visit, $50 ER visit was common). These days, because costs have gone up, many plans have converted to high deductibles with dedicated savings plans ($5000/year per individual OOP, but the person is allowed to save into a tax-deferred account that's a lot like our 401k retirement system, just used for health care).

systemtest 7y ago
Employers pay the biggest source of income of our healthcare system through the zorgverzekeringswet. They pay around 6% on the income of their employees next to the income tax. Second biggest part are the private insurance companies that sell insurance for around €90 to €200 per month. The yearly deductible for all healthcare in the base package is €385 to €885, you can set this deductible yourself. Dental and physiotherapy are separate from general healthcare and have their own insurances and payment structures. They are all privately owned facilities. I usually pay my physiotherapist around €40 for a 30 minute session so I don't need insurance for it. But if you have regular appointments it would make sense to get private insurance for it. We don't have a lot of co-pay (eigen bijdrage). There are some parts in regard to post-natal care where a co-pay is required. Also on hearing aids, dentures, orthopaedic shoes, medicine and non-ambulance transportation to a health facility.

pjc50 7y ago

Surely there's more of a rationale than just "privatisation bad"? That's the strawman version of the argument. How often are people denied coverage or put into bad financial circumstances?