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Evaluation of ACM’s Guidelines on the collective procurement of prescription drugs
In 2016, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) published the Guidelines on the collective procurement of prescription drugs. ACM drew up these guidelines to give hospitals and health insurers more clarity about the room that the … -
Sector inquiry into TNF alpha inhibitors
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has conducted a sector inquiry into TNF alpha inhibitors. TNF-alpha inhibitors are biological drugs that are mostly used by patients with rheumatic disorders. Hospitals buy these drugs for their … -
Further investigation needed into merger between providers of nursing home care in city of Den Helder
Two health care providers, Stichting Omring and Stichting Vrijwaard, in the northern Dutch city of Den Helder wish to merge. They have informed the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) about their plans. These providers offer nursing home … -
Risks for price and quality if hospitals in different regions negotiate collectively
Hospitals are allowed to collaborate with each other in many different ways. However, there are also boundaries, for example, if the collaboration leads to higher prices or reduced health-care quality for patients or insured. Such risks may arise, for … -
ACM offers room for collaborations as part of the Right Care in the Right Place
Arrangements between health care providers and health insurers about relocating health care between providers as part of ‘the Right Care in the Right Place’ (in Dutch: De Juiste Zorg op de Juiste Plek) may be in violation of the Dutch Competition Act. … -
Lower drug prices do not necessarily stand in the way of innovation
The minister must use the gains for society as the guiding factor when neogtiating drug prices Lowering the prices of expensive, innovative prescription drugs can actually boost the incentives to innovate. This view contrasts sharply with the current … -
Lower drug prices can improve innovation
An often made claim is that high drug prices are necessary for innovation. We qualify this claim: drug prices can be too high, namely when the price exceeds the value of the drug to society. Such prices lead to excessive investment in some projects at the … -
ACM Working Paper: Reconciling competition and IP law: the case of patented pharmaceuticals and dominance abuse
Chris Fonteijn, Ilan Akker and Wolf Sauter have written a scientific publication for the book on competition law and intellectual property law to be published later in 2018. The title of their contribution is 'Reconciling competition and IP law: the case … -
Collective refusal of primary-care contracts raises costs for patients
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has pointed out to primary-care providers that a collective boycott of care contracts is illegal. A collective boycott violates competition rules, harms consumers, and, at the end of the day, harms … -
Consumers look for certainty when taking out health insurance
Consumers look for certainty when choosing a health insurance policy. This is particularly true for consumers who have already been with the same health insurer for a long period of time. Of those consumers, almost one in two say that having the assurance …