Zorgmarkt

Zorgmarkt is the market for health care and social care services and products in the Netherlands. It covers the financing, procurement, delivery, and use of care, including hospitals, general practitioners, home care, long-term care, mental health services, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, insurers, suppliers, and patient organizations. The system is characterized by a mix of public regulation and market elements, with residents typically enrolled in a compulsory basic health insurance package provided by private insurers and guided by overarching policy goals set by the government.

Key actors in the zorgmarkt include health insurers who contract with providers to purchase services on behalf of their members, care providers who deliver care, and patients who consume services. The Dutch regulatory framework involves several bodies: the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) sets policy and legislation; the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) supervises overall competition; the Netherlands Healthcare Authority (NZa) focuses on sector-specific regulation, including prices, capacity, and access to care. Quality standards and price negotiations are central to how the market functions, with mechanisms such as tariffs, contracts, and performance monitoring.

Current dynamics aim to improve efficiency and integration, for example through care pathways, bundled payments, and greater coordination across care chains. Challenges include information asymmetry between providers and patients, regional variation in care availability, rising costs, and concerns about market power and fragmentation. The zorgmarkt remains a focal point of reform efforts, balancing patient choice and quality with sustainability and affordability of care.