Health Insurance Exchanges In Switzerland And The Netherlands Offer Five Key Lessons For The Operations Of US Exchanges.

Since the 1990s some European countries have had regulated health insurance exchanges or have incorporated elements of exchange markets into their health systems. Health reforms in Switzerland and the Netherlands in 1996 and 2006, respectively, created managed competition in the countries' health in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health Affairs Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 744 - 753
Main Authors: Van Ginneken, Ewout, Swartz, Katherine, Van Der Wees, Philip
Format: Journal Article
Published: Health Affairs Publishing, LLC Apr2013
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Apr2013
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      pub: Health Affairs Publishing, LLC
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        10.1377/hlthaff.2012.0948
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        atl: Health Insurance Exchanges In Switzerland And The Netherlands Offer Five Key Lessons For The Operations Of US Exchanges.
      aug:
        au:
          Van Ginneken, Ewout
          Swartz, Katherine
          Van Der Wees, Philip
        affil: Senior Research, Department of Health Care Management at the Berlin University of Technology, Germany
      sug:
        subj:
          Insurance, Health Standards
          Insurance, Health Standards
          Managed Competition
          Insurance Carriers
          Health Services
          Switzerland
          Netherlands
          Government Regulations
          Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
          Risk Management Methods
          Cost Control
          Financial Support Methods
          Negotiation
          Fees and Charges
          Quality of Health Care
          Patient Classification
          Insurance Benefits Standards
          Contract Services Methods
          Rate Setting and Review
          Access to Information
          Decision Making, Patient
      ab: Since the 1990s some European countries have had regulated health insurance exchanges or have incorporated elements of exchange markets into their health systems. Health reforms in Switzerland and the Netherlands in 1996 and 2006, respectively, created managed competition in the countries' health insurance markets, which are somewhat analogous to the US state and federally operated health insurance exchanges scheduled to begin operations in 2013 under the Affordable Care Act. We review the Swiss and Dutch experience with exchanges and offer specific lessons for the US exchanges. First, risk-adjustment mechanisms-which provide premium adjustments intended to compensate health plans for enrolling people expected to have high medical costs-need to be sophisticated and continually updated. Second, it is important to determine why people eligible for coverage don't enroll and to craft responses that will overcome enrollment barriers. Third, applying for subsidies must be simple. Fourth, insurers will need bargaining power similar to that of providers to create a level playing field for negotiating about prices and quality of services, and interim cost containment measures may be necessary. Fifth and finally, insurers and consumers alike will need meaningful information about providers' costs and quality of care so they can become prudent purchasers of health services, since managed competition among health plans by itself will not substantially drive down health costs.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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