BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:PhD defence L.M. Kok METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260918T114500 DTEND:20260918T131500 DTSTAMP:20260918T114500 UID:phd-defence-l-m-kok@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260824T062852 LOCATION:Hoofdgebouw, Aula, 1105, De Boelelaan, 1081 HV, Amsterdam SUMMARY:PhD defence L.M. Kok X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

The effects of finan cial incentives in health care and social insurance

Financial Incentives Shape Healthcare Utilization, Benefits, and L abor Force Participation

Care Facilities Are Fin ancially More Attractive
One of the most striking conclus ions is that, from a societal perspective, living independently at ho me is often less expensive for older adults than staying in a nursing home. Yet many older adults choose a care facility because it is fin ancially more attractive. The out-of-pocket cost for nursing home car e is often lower than the total cost of living at home. Municipalitie s and health insurers also generally spend less on inpatient care, me aning that the financial incentives do not align with what is most ef ficient for society as a whole.

The study also shows that finan cial incentives for municipalities can be effective. A 2004 reform, i n which large municipalities were given a fixed budget for social ass istance expenditures instead of full reimbursement from the national government, led to a clear decline in the number of social assistance recipients. On average, the number of people on social assistance fe ll by 14 percent.

2015 Wajong Reform
A far- reachingreform of the Wajong in 2015 also had major consequences. From that point on, young people capable of working wer e no longer eligible for the program and instead fell back on social assistance. As a result, the inflow into the Wajong program fell by a pproximately 40 percentage points. Their average benefit income decre ased by more than 10,700 euros per year. Part of this loss of income was offset by the fact that more young people began working and earne d more income from employment. Social assistance also offset part of the loss of income.

In addition to these empirical studies, the dissertation also includes a theoretical analysis of the societal va lue of healthcare. According to Kok, existing cost-benefit analyses d o not take sufficient account of the impact of health interventions o n the time people spend on work, leisure, and recovery. By taking the se effects into account, the societal benefits of healthcare can be d etermined more accurately.

Remuneration of Medical Spec ialists
Finally, Kok compares the remuneration of medical specialists in six European countries. After adjusting international income data, it appears that English medical specialists had the hig hest income in 2010, followed by Dutch specialists. The number of phy sicians per capita appears to be the most important factor: in countr ies with relatively few physicians, the incomes of medical specialist s are generally higher.

According to Kok, the results underscor e the importance of well-designed financial incentives. Policy can ef fectively influence behavior, but when individual interests do not al ign with the public interest, unintended and costly outcomes can aris e.

More information about the dissertation will follow

DESCRIPTION: The effects of financial incentives in health care and so cial insurance

Financial Incentives Shape Healthcare Util ization, Benefits, and Labor Force Participation

Financi al incentives in the Dutch healthcare and social security system have a major impact on the choices people make and on the costs to societ y. This is evident from economist Lucy Kok’s research on the effect s of policy on healthcare, benefits, and employment.Care Faci lities Are Financially More Attractive
One of the most st riking conclusions is that, from a societal perspective, living indep endently at home is often less expensive for older adults than stayin g in a nursing home. Yet many older adults choose a care facility bec ause it is financially more attractive. The out-of-pocket cost for nu rsing home care is often lower than the total cost of living at home. Municipalities and health insurers also generally spend less on inpa tient care, meaning that the financial incentives do not align with w hat is most efficient for society as a whole.The study also shows tha t financial incentives for municipalities can be effective. A 2004 re form, in which large municipalities were given a fixed budget for soc ial assistance expenditures instead of full reimbursement from the na tional government, led to a clear decline in the number of social ass istance recipients. On average, the number of people on social assist ance fell by 14 percent.2015 Wajong Reform
A far- reachingreform of the Wajong in 2015 also had major consequences. From that point on, young people capable of working wer e no longer eligible for the program and instead fell back on social assistance. As a result, the inflow into the Wajong program fell by a pproximately 40 percentage points. Their average benefit income decre ased by more than 10,700 euros per year. Part of this loss of income was offset by the fact that more young people began working and earne d more income from employment. Social assistance also offset part of the loss of income.In addition to these empirical studies, the disser tation also includes a theoretical analysis of the societal value of healthcare. According to Kok, existing cost-benefit analyses do not t ake sufficient account of the impact of health interventions on the t ime people spend on work, leisure, and recovery. By taking these effe cts into account, the societal benefits of healthcare can be determin ed more accurately.Remuneration of Medical Specialists
Finally, Kok compares the remuneration of medical specialists i n six European countries. After adjusting international income data, it appears that English medical specialists had the highest income in 2010, followed by Dutch specialists. The number of physicians per ca pita appears to be the most important factor: in countries with relat ively few physicians, the incomes of medical specialists are generall y higher.According to Kok, the results underscore the importance of w ell-designed financial incentives. Policy can effectively influence b ehavior, but when individual interests do not align with the public i nterest, unintended and costly outcomes can arise.More information ab out the dissertation will follow END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR