Health insurance companies which fail to check that hospital bills are accurate or inflated have been told by the Dutch health authority NZa they will face fines, the Volkskrant reports on Monday.

The warning follows the case of a hospital in Terneuzen which charged an insurance company €1,066.73 for removing ear wax, describing the process as a ‘microscoptic ear clean’ and ‘removing polyps’. A year earlier, the same treatment cost €110.

The NMA said that while primary responsibility for ensuring bills are accurate rests with the hospitals, insurers also have a crucial monitoring role, the Volkskrant reported.

Most hospital bills are sent directly to heath insurers, meaning patients rarely see what is being charged for treatment.

Earlier stories
Health authority to investigate overcharging by hospitals.