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Chapter 8 | The impact of the crisis on the health system and health in the Netherlands
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Table 8.5 Overview of major cost-saving initiatives aimed at health care providers
initiated by the Dutch Government and the respective planned savings (if available) a
Measure b
2008 GP tariffs not indexed for inflation
Hospitals budget reduced by
e160 million with the aim of
stimulating efficiency (hospitals
had to provide the same amount
of care with less money)
Tariff agreement with medical
specialists
Area
affected by
the measure
Tariffs
Budgets
(hospital care)
Tariffs
Planned saving
(€ millions (% of the
respective budgets c ))
n.a.
n.a.
175 (10%)
2009 Tariff measure for medical specialists Tariffs 375 (24%)
2010 Tariff measure for medical specialists
Agreement between the Ministry of
Health, the Association of Medical
Specialists and the National Hospital
Association to introduce a budget
cap for medical specialists between
2012 and 2015 (limiting the growth
to 2.5% per year)
GPs encouraged to prescribe
generic drugs
Capitation fee for GPs lowered
Reduction of mental health care
budget and tariffs
2011 Tariff measure for pharmacists
Tariff measure for hospitals
Tariff measure for medical specialists
2012 Tariff measure for GPs
Reduction of mental health care
budget and tariffs
2013 Implementation of the agreement
between the Ministry of Health
and GPs (signed in 2012) to cap
growth in expenditure on GP care
at 2.5% per year between 2014
and 2017; not impose a tariff
measure for overspending in
2011; GPs to save e50 million on
prescriptions of medicines (e.g. by
prescribing cheaper generic drugs)
Tariffs
Budgets/
tariffs
Pharmaceutical
prescribing
Tariffs
Budgets/
tariffs
Tariffs
Tariffs
Tariffs
Tariffs
Budget/tariffs
Efficiency
479 (28%)
n.a.
130 (6%)
60 (3%)
119 (3%)
74 (1%)
316 (2%)
606 (33%)
98 (5%)
222 (6%)
n.a.
Notes: a This table is not exhaustive, as only major cost-containment measures are listed; b Tariff
agreement means that the group and the Ministry of Health decided together on the tariff cuts while
a tariff measure means that the Ministry of Health sets an amount (at the national level) that should
be saved by health care providers to pay back the overspending in the previous year, the Dutch
Health Care Authority deciding on how this saving is to be achieved for individual providers; c For
example, budgets for GP care, medical specialists' care, hospital care, pharmaceutical care, mental
care; n.a.: Not available.
Source: Annual reports of the Ministry of Health, 2008–2012.