I have a Dutch friend Sonia, who is actually a Sichuan sister. She later married her Dutch husband and settled in Holland.
She is a housewife who loves life and family. She is also a foot physiotherapist who has no prescription right. According to her words, she is a medical worker lower than Dutch family doctors. However, she loves her career.
Every time I talk to Sonia about what she calls the “tiny country”-Dutch medical treatment, I always [surprise].
Three-level hospital system VS health care system
Sonia is the mother of two children. The first child was born at home and the second child was planned to be born at home. However, because the second child was too heavy, Sonia had to be hospitalized to give birth.
I was very surprised: more than 20 years ago, I was born in a rural family. The umbilical cord was cut off by a pair of sterilized scissors used by the grandmother who went to the house. But now my sister-in-law and sisters are all produced in our local downtown hospital. Therefore, giving birth at home is a phenomenon only found in poor and backward rural areas in my mind.
[Then you give birth at home, is it a family doctor’s on-site service? ]
[Give birth smoothly at home, and an obstetrics nurse can come to serve you. Family doctors are really overqualified to do this job! Sonia explained with a smile.
[What about the prenatal check? My sister, they are all in the best hospital in the area, waiting in long lines for prenatal examination.]
[The prenatal examination should be done in the obstetrics clinic. Only big problems and emergencies need to be attended to the hospital. There will be family doctors to check, and they can easily solve common problems. The medical grade in Holland is very clear, which can well avoid waste of resources! ]
Three levels of health care in the Netherlands
Sonia’s three medical grades in Holland refer to: basic health care, primary health care and hospital health care.
Primary health care focuses on health education, disease surveillance of infectious diseases, and health promotion and protection of women, children and special groups. Primary health care is the most important part of the Dutch medical system (family doctors belong to this level). It is mainly medical care for non-hospitalized community residents. Hospital health care is very similar to our hospital services.
Here we need to focus on Dutch family doctors. The Global Times reported an article: < < Dutch media deeply interpret the Dutch doctor-patient relationship: a doctor for a lifetime > >, the doctor here refers to the family doctor. Because for the Dutch, the person who knows his body best is the fixed family doctor. In case of health problems, the family doctor will be invited to make preliminary diagnosis and treatment first.
As a result, nearly 70% of Dutch people hope not to change their family doctors within 10 years. In the global family doctor income list, Dutch family doctors are also among the best paid.
China’s Three-tier Hospital System
The domestic medical system is: first-level, second-level, third-level and three-level hospitals. In fact, the three-level hospitals also have a clear division of labor.
First-class hospitals are primary hospitals and health centers that directly provide prevention, treatment, health care and rehabilitation services for a certain community population. The second-level hospital is a regional hospital that provides comprehensive medical and health services to multiple communities and undertakes certain teaching and scientific research tasks. Level III hospitals are regional or above hospitals that provide high-level specialized medical and health services to several regions and carry out higher education and scientific research tasks.
It can be seen that the original intention of setting up the tertiary hospital is very good, However, some exist in name only. As mentioned earlier, my sisters go directly to the third-class and first-class hospitals from the birth check-up to the delivery. This is also human nature, and everyone wants to enjoy the best medical services. However, waiting in long lines for an hour or two to see a doctor, waiting in line for an hour or two for an examination, and waiting for the results for another hour or two is not necessarily the [best] medical treatment.
The position of doctors in the first and second level hospitals in China is actually the position of Dutch family doctors as health gatekeepers. Due to poor working treatment and infrastructure, doctors in the first and second level hospitals are all crawling to the third level hospitals. The lack of health gatekeepers has led residents to run to large hospitals regardless of minor diseases or serious diseases.
The classification system and functional orientation of the medical systems of the two countries are actually the same, but in terms of implementation and effect, the Netherlands is really better than the domestic one.
A Brief Talk on the Commercial Medical Insurance in Holland
The cost of medical treatment in the Netherlands is very low because medical expenses in the Netherlands are covered by commercial insurance. Many medical insurance companies compete fiercely with each other to attract more consumers by lowering prices.
Of course, the insurance company’s payout ratio and the level of insurance is linked. Simply put, in addition to basic insurance, residents can decide the level of insurance they want to invest according to their actual situation. The higher the level, the more premium they pay, the higher the payout ratio they get. The disadvantage is that in case you are not ill, it is white insurance.
Sonia stressed to me:
No insurance company can refuse anyone. Even if it is a critically ill patient, as long as he decides to take out insurance with an insurance company, the insurance company must unconditionally accept it.
Moreover, by making it mandatory for all persons who have reached the age of 18 in the Netherlands, regardless of whether they are Dutch or not (children under the age of 18 are insured free of charge), the Government has in fact ensured that everyone can enjoy the most basic medical insurance.
The medical insurance system introduced by our country is mainly the new rural cooperative medical insurance, the medical insurance for urban residents and the medical insurance for urban workers. It should have been popularized by now and everyone has bought one.
However, there are still many places where the state pays for the inclusive medical insurance [insurance but not coverage]. There is a deductible for medical insurance, which starts to be reimbursed only after exceeding a certain amount, and there is also a cap line. Imported drugs, self-funded drugs and some materials in medical expenses cannot be reimbursed. Outpatient service is not reimbursed; Finally, the [reasonable medical expenses] that can be reimbursed will be reimbursed in proportion…
Therefore, the state also encourages the development of commercial insurance companies, but commercial insurance only accepts health insurance. Generally, it is enough to inform the health status before the age of 45, and a physical examination is required after the age of 45.
More humanized environment for medical treatment
Apart from the differences between the medical system and the insurance system, Dutch residents are more humane in seeking medical treatment in many places.
Sonia said that every time she gives birth, the father and other relatives of the child can stay in the delivery room. The father’s presence with the mother can bring the relationship closer to each other, because this is a special moment for both of them. The father can give the greatest spiritual comfort to facilitate the mother’s delivery.
[In fact, the most important thing is that letting father see the pain of mother’s childbirth can stimulate father’s sense of responsibility.] Sonia finally laughed secretly.
Perhaps my good friend Sonia only told me one-sided about the advantages of Holland’s medical system and insurance system, but many places are indeed worth learning from and learning from at home.
How far is it from us to have a family doctor who really checks health and an insurance system that really benefits the people?