Several healthcare institutions in the Netherlands refuse to admit people with complex problems. These are people with a severe intellectual disability and additional problems. According to the institutions, the healthcare costs for these so-called VG7 indication patients are too high. This group of clients requires intensive guidance and care.
The financial pressure not only causes new patients to be refused, but sometimes also leads to existing care being discontinued. According to client support staff, this happens despite strict regulations that restrict the termination of care.
The consequences are serious: some people are forced to live with family, which is not without risk because some of them can become aggressive when exposed to too many stimuli. Others end up on the streets.
VG7 patients require intensive and specialized care. However, institutions receive too low compensation for this, which causes losses of millions every year. Johan Dusseljee, board member at healthcare organization Vanboeijen in Drenthe, indicates that his organization has an annual deficit of 3 to 4 million euros, a large part of which comes from VG7 patients.
The Association for Disabled Care Netherlands (VGN) warns that the problem is not easily solved. The government has announced that the rates that healthcare institutions may charge will be increased by 6.2 percent from 2025. But according to the VGN, this is not nearly enough to close the financial gap.
Healthcare institutions also face a shortage of qualified personnel, which further increases the healthcare burden. This leaves many institutions in an impasse, where on the one hand they want to fulfill their duty of care, but on the other hand they are barely surviving financially.
The current situation not only affects institutions, but especially clients and their families. Many VG7 patients are forced to live at home, which puts extra pressure on informal caregivers. The intensive demand for care and the risk of aggression sometimes make this untenable.
Without drastic changes, these vulnerable people and their families will remain in limbo. The financial and personnel bottlenecks require structural solutions to prevent those most in need of care from being left out in the cold.