title: Managed competition in the Netherlands-a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2006, the Health Insurance Act changed Dutch health insurance by implementing managed competition, whereby the health insurance market is strongly regulated by the government. The aim of the study is to investigate key stakeholders' opinions about effects of recent changes in Dutch healthcare policy, focussing upon three important requirements for successful managed competition: risk-adjustment, consumer choice and instruments for managed care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expert interviews with 12 key stakeholders were performed (October/November 2009), transcribed and analyzed in a four-step qualitative process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Dutch risk-adjustment scheme is very advanced but incentives for health insurers to select risks remain. The Health Insurance Act has given insurers new incentives to focus upon consumer needs and preferences, whereby large group contracts have replaced individual consumer choice with collective decision-making. Managed care concepts are slow in developing. Patient organizations and insurers report taking part in such efforts, but other stakeholders do not perceive that progress has been made.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pre-requisites for successful managed competition in the Netherlands are not yet entirely in place: risk-adjustment schemes cannot yet counteract all incentives to select risks, consumer preferences are just beginning to influence insurer policies and managed care elements are currently in the development stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Fulda, Germany. stephanie.heinemann@pg.hs-fulda.de
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heinemann
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leiber
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gress
mesh_terms: D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D018854:Managed Competition / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration; D009426:Netherlands; D011057:Politics; D020379:Risk Adjustment / Q000458:organization & administration