Health insurance giant Achmea has pledged to allow patients to switch insurer if they unhappy they can no longer be treated in Amsterdam’s Slotervaart hospital.

The country’s biggest health insurance provider and the hospital failed to sign a treatment contract for 2013 following a dispute over the budget.

Achmea, which includes ZilverenKruis, Interpolis, Agis and FBTO, says Slotervaart wants too much money to treat patients. The hospital, which is privately run, says Achmea is offering far too little to cover costs.

Emergency

This means people who are insured through Achmea can only claim back the full cost of emergency treatment at the Slotervaart hospital – much to the concern of patient groups. They will also have to fund up to some 20% of other treatment themselves.

However, a spokesman for Achmea told television consumer affairs programme Radar on Monday night the company would again look into  ‘distressing cases’.

In addition, patients who wish to move to another health insurance company will be allowed to do so. Officially, people can only change insurer during an end-of-year window.

According to Nos television, the government is planning to tell insurers they must make it clear to patients which health care providers they have a contract with by November.

Slotervaart hospital chief Ayssel Erbudak said earlier she was considering taking legal action against Achmea for breaking the rules on patient choice.