another take

The Netherlands Health System, from the short reading on the health systems seems to operate well, however this little blog shed some good light on the situation: http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/the_health_care_blog/2008/06/going-dutch.html
A great point the author made was pointing out the Dutch mandate for all citizens to purchase private health insurance. Companies are not allowed to cherry pick, the system does not inhibit anyone for “free-loading” off the system. What laws exist to keep the Dutch people from abusing the system?
Another downfall of the reformed Health System of Netherlands would be a financial pit- fall. The new HIA created marked-based competition between private for-profit health insurance companies, by privatizing the insurance industry. They instituted cost and quality controls by forcing hospitals into monetary battles amongst one another for their “sick” customers. It appears the Dutch health reform legislation has turned hospitals into businesses and no longer public service; this is a concern, in my opinion, because it leads hospitals to concentrate on marketing tactics to attract enough sick patients to keep in business.