Should the deductible be abolished for chronically ill people? / Polls

The concept of the deductible is to create a balance, explains healthcare economist Xander Koolman. “Between the burdens that we jointly share and the individual costs that arise from the use of care by the person themselves.” If the deductible for people with chronic conditions is abolished, the costs will have to be borne by the entire population. “Because that money has to come from somewhere.” It would therefore mean a transfer of costs. Whether this is desirable or not is really a political question.

The cost of completely abolishing the deductible is conservatively estimated at 3.4 billion, but amounts of around 6 billion have also been mentioned. Abolishing the deductible for only chronically ill people would cost around 2 billion euros. This would mean an annual premium increase of 150 euros per year for all more than 14 million adult Dutch people.

The concept of ‘chronically ill’ is quite broad. According to data from research agency Nivel, 60 percent of Dutch people have a chronic condition. However, not all people with a chronic condition automatically use their deductible for healthcare costs. The deductible should therefore not be abolished for all these people.

It is difficult to define when someone is chronically ill, and what exactly a chronic illness is. If someone has diabetes, it is clear. People are then dependent on medication or having to inject insulin. If someone has asthma, it will also be clear. But if someone has an allergy that only affects him/her in the spring, can that also be called a chronic illness?