AMSTERDAM — Health insurance branch group ZN has launched a scathing attack on a government website set up to allow the public compare health insurance schemes, claiming that the information used is out of date.

Zorgverzekeraars Nederland (or ZN for short) also said the website www.kiesbeter.nl — which Health Minister Hans Hoogervorst unveiled on Wednesday — unfairly assessed the performances health insurers.

ZN has sent a letter to the consumer watchdog Consumentenbond, which provided some of the research to the government-financed website. But the consumer group quickly dismissed the criticism, newspaper De Telegraaf reported.

The Consumentenbond used data about the accessibility and complaints procedure of the insurers, information which dated back to 2003. ZN said the results gave an incorrect picture because the figures were two years old and that improvements could have been made since then.

It also said that scores on freedom of policy choice or cancellation procedures were based on insufficient information. ZN asserted that the perceived performances of ziekenfonds public health scheme insurers did not match market reality.

But the Consumentenbond said the figure originated from the supervisory authority CTZ, which did not have more recent figures. Moreover, they matched the results of a “satisfaction survey” that the watchdog had recently completed.

It also said that insurers were assessed on points that consumers had indicated were important and that insurers had been made aware of this. “Consultation has taken place with insurers over every step and every aspect,” the consumer group said. It dismissed ZN’s criticism as simply being “cold feet”.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Dutch news