Health Insurers Demand Improvement from Private Doctors’ Firm

The four major Dutch health insurance companies have initiated action against Co-Med, a private company that operates a network of family doctor practices, formally accusing it of failing to uphold adequate standards of patient care.

According to a report in the Volkskrant on Wednesday, Zilveren Kruis, CZ, VGZ, and Menzis have collectively stated that Co-Med is not fulfilling its contractual obligations regarding patient care. This move comes shortly after Co-Med narrowly avoided bankruptcy earlier this month due to outstanding bills. A spokesperson from CZ emphasized, “We have reached the limit,” indicating the severity of the situation.

The insurers’ accusation marks the initial step in a process that could potentially terminate their contracts with Co-Med. Should this occur, thousands of patients could face challenges in accessing GP services covered by their insurance policies.

Earlier this week, the insurers demanded that Co-Med provide detailed information about its staff rosters within the next four weeks. However, despite this request, concerns persist, prompting the insurers to escalate their discontent with an official complaint.

Co-Med was established in 2019 by three entrepreneurs from Limburg with the aim of assisting doctors by managing administrative tasks such as roster planning and accounting. Since then, it has acquired 13 family doctor clinics, primarily from retiring physicians unable to find successors. The company operates with a model that relies heavily on freelance doctors and currently oversees approximately 50,000 patients across Breda, Zwolle, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, and Enschede.

However, Co-Med’s operations have been marred by numerous complaints regarding accessibility issues, substandard care, and the deployment of inadequately qualified staff. The Dutch Ministry of Health inspectors have also intervened, mandating improvements in care availability and accessibility, citing “serious shortcomings” within Co-Med’s practices.