Sustainability of Comprehensive Universal Long-Term Care Insurance in the Netherlands

Abstract

The Netherlands was the first country to introduce a universal mandatory social health insurance scheme to cover a broad range of long-term care (LTC) services in a variety of care settings. Compared with spending in most other OECD countries, both total and public expenditure on long-term care is high, particularly since the Dutch population is relatively young. On the other hand, coverage of LTC services is relatively comprehensive. In this paper we examine the past experiences, current deficiencies, and future prospects of LTC financing in the Netherlands. We discuss whether the proposed reforms offer a perspective on a sustainable system of comprehensive LTC insurance.