Market forces can be combated if hospitals and health insurers agree on a fixed budget. This ensures that care remains available, regardless of how much care is provided by the hospitals.
In the coalition agreement, the cabinet previously expressed its ambition regarding the introduction of budget funding for the EDs. According to advice from the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa), budget funding is most feasible from 2027. If implemented earlier, this may incur additional costs.
Acting Quickly
Minister Fleur Agema: “I really want to act quickly to reduce market forces in emergency care. Care must become more accessible in the region, and smaller regional hospitals need more certainty. My goal is to ensure that emergency care remains quickly available to everyone nearby.”
Once the consequences, opportunities, and risks of budget funding for emergency obstetrics are clearer, the minister will also make a decision on this. The NZa will provide additional advice on this in the summer.
At the same time, the minister wants to work with stakeholders in healthcare to create rules to achieve the best possible budget funding that respects differences between hospitals.
For the funding of intensive care (IC), the minister will send a request for an implementation assessment to the NZa by the end of March at the latest. This should clarify the consequences of introducing fixed budgets for the IC.