2023-10-29 23:01:40
A growing group of Dutch people do not have additional insurance for physiotherapy. As a result, some of them end up in hospital, while a physiotherapist might also have treated them, which is cheaper.
About four million people do not have additional insurance for physiotherapy, ABN AMRO reported on Monday morning. Some of these people can pay for this care themselves, but there is also a large group who cannot afford it.
“If people have an exercise complaint and are not insured for physiotherapy, they go to the doctor more often,” says the spokesperson for the Royal Dutch Society for Physiotherapy (KNGF). “We also see that people continue to walk around with complaints, which then become worse, causing them to have to go to the hospital.”
“Meniscal problems can often be solved with regarding ten treatments, which costs between 350 and 450 euros. The GP can also refer you to an orthopedist, in which case you pay 385 euros in deductible.” Although this is approximately the same price for the insured person, orthopedic treatment often requires additional care that must be paid for with government money. This care is not only more expensive, but also unnecessary.
Pressure on healthcare due to aging population and outflow
The double aging of the population (the number of elderly people is increasing while they are also getting older) and the growth of the chronically ill are creating an increasing demand for physiotherapy.
There is also a lot of outflow within the industry. Many physiotherapists choose to work elsewhere in healthcare where there are more favorable employment conditions. This makes it increasingly difficult to find staff and retain them for a longer period of time. Of all physiotherapists who quit in the last three years, regarding 45 percent had been practicing the profession for less than five years.
People are also increasingly using physio care preventatively, because they want to stay fit and vital. Despite illness or old age, people want to continue to participate in society.
1698628008
#Growing #number #Dutch #people #additional #physio #insurance #Economy
