"Health insurers are not ready on time, so wait before changing" | financial

The four largest health insurers did not contract all hospitals one month before the end of the year. Silver Cross is 55%, VGZ 35% and CZ 61%. Menzis does not mean how many contracts have already been concluded. Most health insurance policies do not have a free choice of health care and you must therefore fully reimburse the costs of contract hospitals. However, in December, patients are still not sure if they can go to the neighborhood hospital. Their websites indicate which hospitals they have already contracted, but they are not yet.

For example, CZ has not yet contracted much insurance in Brabant, but its hospitals in Eindhoven, Den Bosch and Tilburg. Many insured Menzis live in the Achterhoek, but hospitals are not yet under contract. The Consumers' Association (Consumers Association) calls the information from which the hospital is contracted "essential for consumers when choosing a health insurer". "Otherwise, they run the risk of having to pay for some of the treatment themselves."

Premium already known

Health insurers are obliged to specify the care they took out on the 12th of November of this year. Then you know what type of bonus. Even now, it has not succeeded. The four major health insurers do not yet see major problems. "The contracts of all the hospitals have been successful every year, and we now have confidence in that, but you have to be two to dance the tango ," says Jeppe Delver of Zilveren Kruis. CZ, Menzis and VGZ also believe that things will be fine at the end of the year. Last year, they also had work to do at the beginning of December.

The fact that the contracts are not completed is due to various causes. "We can only start negotiations when the firm presents its calculation bonus on Prinsjesdag," said Joeri Veen, spokesman for Menzis. According to his counterpart at CZ, growth space for hospitals is limited. Together, they can only process 0.8% more than in 2018. "This makes the discussions on extra money very difficult." According to health insurers, some hospitals require 8% more than this year.

More money

VGZ states that conversations are not always easy because they have long-term agreements with a group of eleven hospitals whose turnover has declined. "If they can, why not hospitals," said VGZ spokesman Jan Sinnige. In other hospitals, more money is required.

CZ and Menzis say that insureds can assume that they can go anywhere for all their affiliated brands. VGZ and Zilveren Kruis dare not promise that. "We want to give honest numbers, VGZ is also upset that many contracts are not yet complete, but we also need to keep the health premium affordable," says Sinnige. Whether or not he is obligated to wager on the contracts or wait until the end of December, he leaves them to themselves.

Wait with the transfer

The consumer association is clearer about this. He advises to wait to choose a new health insurance policy. "Guidance is already possible, but if your caregiver has not been hired yet, it would not hurt to wait to cancel your current policy," says the union. . The ultimate solution, according to the Union of Consumers, is to check in late December if your current insurance policy is still suitable. Otherwise you can cancel and contract a new health insurance with retroactive effect until 31 January. "