(Health interests; 07-03; p.3)

In short, the work group recommended:

• to foster competition between service providers in the health system, thereby realising gains in efficiency,
• to finance several benefits concerning fertility and mortality by taxes,
• to let finance certain doctor's services and pharmaceutical products more by patients,
• to deprive civil servants of their privileges in the health system, so to treat them similar to employees,
• to insure people claiming social benefits within the public health insurances.

The work group calculates a possible average decrease in premiums for public health insurances of 2,4 % in the short run.

All these recommendations are part of the political compromise; moreover, some points have been added or filled with detail. In this way, the working group's suggestions concerning pharmaceuticals, financing public health insurances and treatment of civil servants and benefits claimers have been put in.
A significant modification however concerning the tax-payer has been made: in contrast to the scientists' concept, benefits for in-vitro fertilisation and in case of death will not be financed by taxes, but by the insured themselves; also, dental replacements will be part of a mandatory extra insurance.

The demand for an increase in efficiency will be met in detail by:

• giving patients more rights of information and choice,
• preserve or improve quality standards in services offered,
• forming supply and treatment structures that work more efficiently,
• forming a more efficient structure of self-government of the health system,
• demanding greater attention for the aspect of prevention (rather than treatment). (read on here)