The Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) has lifted the intensified supervision on the execution of the care obligation by health insurer CZ. We have found that CZ has sufficiently addressed the outstanding points from the directive dated March 4, 2024. We trust that CZ will continue this progress. We will continue to monitor the implemented changes through regular contacts with CZ.
Approach to NZa supervision investigation
At the beginning of this year, the NZa asked CZ to come up with an action plan in which they concretely indicate how the remaining improvements will be addressed and within which deadlines. This included identifying bottlenecks in care supply, what they do to resolve these bottlenecks, and evaluating and adjusting these actions. We have closely monitored the implementation of this plan. We did this by regularly requesting information, visiting CZ multiple times, and conducting on-site inspections. When assessing the fulfillment of the care obligation, we apply the policy rule supervision framework care obligation health insurers Zvw and the guidelines care obligation for health insurers.
Previous research on care obligation
The NZa previously investigated in four regions with waiting times above the Treek standards for mental health care and hospital care the efforts of the largest health insurer in that region. This research showed that there were improvement opportunities for all health insurers examined in the execution of their care obligation. Two health insurers received a directive. CZ was subsequently placed under intensified supervision after it became clear after six months that they had insufficiently addressed their shortcomings. CZ has now sufficiently followed up on the directive and the NZa has lifted the intensified supervision.