VGZ wants 34 municipalities to offer low-income health insurance
Health insurer VGZ has written to the mayors of the 34 municipalities with no gemeentepolis, a health insurance for people on low incomes to which the municipality contributes, and wants to talk to them about it.
Health insurer VGZ has sent a letter to the mayors of the 34 municipalities in the Netherlands that do not offer a gemeentepolis and wants to hold talks with them. Some of these municipalities abolished the scheme; others never had it. VGZ says all municipalities should offer it.
The gemeentepolis is a basic plus supplementary health insurance that a municipality offers with an insurer to people on low incomes. The municipality pays part of the cost. About 580,000 people use one. Another 90,000 would benefit but live in a municipality that does not offer it, and 70,000 more could apply but do not, because the municipality's contribution is too low.
Utrecht, Breda and Groningen, among others, have scrapped the scheme because of the cost.
84 municipalities contribute at least €40 a month, 53 less than €20
Municipalities
84 municipalities contribute at least €40 a month, 53 less than €20 (municipalities). Highest: In between, 167; lowest: Under €20 a month, 53; 3 items. Source: Municipal contributions to the gemeentepolis.
View data
| Item | Municipalities |
|---|---|
| At least €40 a month | 84 |
| In between | 167 |
| Under €20 a month | 53 |
What residents pay depends partly on their postcode. In Diemen a gemeentepolis costs €64 a month; in neighbouring Ouder-Amstel the same policy costs €33 a month, because the municipality contributes more.
Insurers differ on a national scheme
The Instituut voor Publieke Economie (IPE) recently advised replacing the more than 300 local schemes with one national scheme to prevent care avoidance. VGZ prefers keeping the gemeentepolis. "We want to prevent the government from creating an entire scheme of its own," a VGZ spokesperson said. "That takes a great deal of work, while many municipalities still have a gemeentepolis that does its job well." VGZ also wants municipalities to offer several packages.
Insurer Menzis also backs the scheme. It says debts rise and people avoid care for fear of unexpected costs in municipalities that stopped. Zilveren Kruis prefers a national scheme, saying the gemeentepolis gives too little certainty and differs per municipality. It will keep offering it as long as there is no national statutory scheme.
The scheme falls under the Participatiewet (participation act), and municipalities decide for themselves whether to take part.
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gemeentepolis
A gemeentepolis is a basic health insurance policy that a municipality arranges and pays for, for residents with a low income who might otherwise be without cover. Each municipality decides for itself whether to offer one, so the scheme differs from place to place. It matters because it helps low-income residents keep basic health insurance, which is mandatory in the Netherlands.