If you’ve been hit by a particularly irritating ailment, need to pop down to your local doctor, and are registered at a Co-Med practice… things are about to get complicated. 😬
Health insurers CV, VGZ, Menzis, and Zilveren Kruis released a joint statement yesterday (June 20) to note that they were suspending their partnership with health provider Co-Med.
Adding insult to injury, a part of the Co-Med chain has also officially been declared bankrupt.
As a result, thousands of patients across the Netherlands have suddenly lost their GP service. Let’s talk about why — and what you can expect to happen next.
Allegedly, Co-Med can’t “guarantee the continuity of good care”
Whilst the four main insurers didn’t mince their words when it came to cutting ties with the struggling healthcare provider, they certainly had good reason to be stern. 👇
According to the NOS, an inspection by the Health and Youth Inspectorate (IGJ) concluded that Co-Med practices had several dangerous shortcomings.
READ MORE | 9 things you need to know about Dutch health insurance as an international
Many of the practices were difficult to reach by phone, didn’t always have a GP available for emergencies, and offered patients insufficient information on what to do if they couldn’t reach their GP’s office.
Oké, what do I do now?
If you’re registered at a Co-Med doctor’s office and require medical attention, these are the GP alternatives you can temporarily choose (based on your location):
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Amsterdam: Arene and Jouw Huisarts Aan De Louwesweg
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Bergen op Zoom: Arene
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Breda: Arene
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Den Haag: Hadoks
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Eindhoven: Arene
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Enschede: THOEN
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Helmond: Arene
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Hollands Kroon: Arene
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Tilburg: Arene
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Zwolle: Arene
READ MORE | All you need to know about going to the hospital in the Netherlands
In a hurry? You can still visit your a huisartsenspoedpost (emergency GP) outside of normal working hours and on weekends.
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