The Dutch supervisory board for medical insurance (CVZ) wants insurers to stop paying for expensive medicines used to treat two rare illnesses. The advice is contained in confidential recommendations from the CVZ to the Health Minister obtained by Dutch broadcaster NOS.
The move would affect sufferers of Pompe disease and Fabry Disease, both chronic illnesses requiring lifelong medication. The annual cost of treatment for a patient with Pompe is between 400 and 700 thousand euros, and 200 thousand for a Fabre patient.
There are around 400 Fabry and 115 Pompe sufferers in the Netherlands. The costs of their treatment are currently fully covered by health insurance.
The CVZ is a government body responsible for overseeing the delivery of health care by insurers. This is believed to be the first time it has suggested withdrawing coverage for expensive medicines used for rare illnesses.
The Health Minister will make a final decision on the advice later this year.
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Due to data security reasons the advice is contained in confidential recommendations from the CVZ to the Health Minister. Medical Billing Company offers medical insurance billing, EMR and EHR services to Healthcare Providers around the United States.
I never thought and hoped I would live the day but yesterday the Dutch counsel of health insurers advised the government to not pay anymore for the expensive essential medicines for two rear deceases (Pompe disease snd Fabry disease). A few dozen people in the Netherlands have these diseases and will not be able to function any more after these medicines will be taken away. The quality of life will be awful and some children could die. Is this a sick way of starting a discussion about medicine prices over the heads of sick people? Then why not target the pharmaceutical companies over these prices instead of spreading fear over these people? Is this just a bizarre unethical misjudgement or are we really witnessing the rebirth of a sort of fascistic way of doing things in a so called civilized country in a destabilized minefield of norms and values? If so some day soon it will effect everybody in a nasty way.
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