PhD Defence Laurens Holst

Keywords: Health insurance literacy, health insurance policy 
 

"Exploring Health Insurance Literacy in the Netherlands, Citizens' Skills and Needs in Choosing a Health Insurance Policy"

The health insurance system in the Netherlands functions under the assumption that all citizens are able to make well-informed decisions with regard to their health insurance policy. The findings in this thesis show, among other things, that there are certain groups of citizens in the Netherlands that have more difficulty choosing a health insurance policy than others, and moreover are less inclined to actively look for alternative health insurance options or to switch health insurer. To our knowledge, this thesis is the first research that provides insight into health insurance literacy of citizens in the Netherlands. It is an important step in the process evaluating the extent to which citizens can fulfil their role in the health insurance system. More research into health insurance literacy in the Netherlands is required to ensure that all citizens can benefit from healthcare to the same extent without possibly being limited by a suboptimal health insurance policy.

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