title: Is there a business case for quality in The Netherlands? A critical analysis of the recent reforms of the health care system.
abstract: Major reforms of the health insurance system and reimbursement systems for care providers are currently taking place in The Netherlands. These market-oriented health care reforms will transform the current central supply-driven system to a system of managed competition both among health care insurers and care providers. The reforms are not systematically linked to the discussions about quality of care and together with consumers who might be more interested in lower premiums; they offer almost no incentive for health care insurers and providers to steer on quality. Dutch policy makers should, therefore, be more explicit whether competition should take place on quality or price, and if the former is the case, additional incentives as part of the system reforms, are needed to create a business case for quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands. t.custers@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Custers
authors.forename: Onyebuchi A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Arah
authors.forename: Niek S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Klazinga
mesh_terms: D018166:Health Care Reform; D007348:Insurance, Health; D009042:Motivation; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D009426:Netherlands; D011050:Policy Making; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms