Antitrust policy in the Dutch health care system and the relevance of EEC competition policy and U.S. antitrust practice.
Dutch health care policy is undergoing a radical shift from a planning-oriented towards a market-oriented approach. A fundamental restructuring of the health care financing system should bring about workable competition among providers and among health insurers. As the result of both government regulation and anticompetitive self-regulation strong cartels and dominant positions are deeply rooted in the present Dutch health care system. In order to be successful structural reforms should be supported by an effective antitrust policy. However, present Dutch antitrust policy is too lenient to fulfil this necessary condition. EEC competition policy is far more stringent, but for several reasons its relevance will be limited. For an effective enforcement of national antitrust policy in health care, the so far unique American experience in this field provides some useful lessons.
Schut
F T
FT
Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Greenberg
W
W
van de Ven
W P
WP
D016363:Antitrust Laws; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D004465:Economic Competition / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005062:European Union; D006076:Government; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006761:Hospitals; D007348:Insurance, Health; D009426:Netherlands; D010820:Physicians; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States