Jonathan Cohn on Quality Improvement and Cost Containment in the Dutch Health System
<p>In a new post on <a href="/blog/2011/lessons-abroad-dutch-health-care-system-part-2">The Commonwealth Fund Blog</a>, <em>New Republic</em> senior editor Jonathan Cohn discusses quality and health outcomes in the Netherlands, as well as recent Dutch efforts to encourage insurers to compete on quality as well as costs. The post is part of a new international series exploring the health care systems of four countries, and the second post on the Dutch health system. </p>
<p>The Netherlands provides universal access to affordable health care and features strong primary care that fosters good preventive and chronic disease care. Still, Dutch officials and experts are dealing with a number of issues faced by other advanced countries around the world: how to coordinate care better, improve quality, and contain costs. </p>
<p>"Insofar as American policymakers hope that competition can improve the quality of health care while reducing (or at least restraining) its cost, the future of the Dutch reforms are certainly worth watching," Cohn says. <br /><br />To learn more, read the <a href="/blog/2011/lessons-abroad-dutch-health-care-system-part-2">complete post</a>. <br /></p>