Clash during RTL Z debate over health care costs and taxes on the rich

When it comes to the future of healthcare, the parties are diametrically opposed to each other. For example, GL-PvdA wants to invest billions more. VVD wants to cut back on health care.

VVD: Don’t pass the bill on to the rich

Tom van de Lee (GL-PvdA) calls for the abolition of the health care deductible. “Otherwise people with chronic diseases will get into trouble,” he says. But that money, and the elimination of deductible costs of about €6 billion, will have to be coughed up. According to the party, this bill will fall on the shoulders of the healthiest and wealthiest people.

This is the painful leg of VVD. Eelko Heijnen, the Liberals’ finance expert, doesn’t want the bill to be put in place elsewhere. “The Netherlands is already one of the most level-headed countries. Everyone has access to healthcare and this is a great asset.” As far as he is concerned, the main focus should be on how to prevent the increase in costs.

His party wants to spend €200 million less on healthcare than currently planned, including not automatically expanding the basic package based on the latest medical science. “You have to have this difficult discussion.”

Message file forgets to measure

It was striking that D66 member Hans Vegelbrief did not recognize the measure his party had submitted to the CPB which would mean that people with higher incomes would have to make a higher personal contribution to district nursing. “I do not recognize this procedure from the program.”

Not long after, he agreed: “You could say if you can afford it and have enough assets, you pay for it. That’s not terribly strange.”

National Security Council financial expert Eddie Van Heegum stressed that his party wants to keep health care costs under control. But the Umtsigt party program has not been calculated, so it remains unclear what the costs and benefits of the plans will be.

He did not propose any major changes to the system. However, Van Heegum believes that more attention should be paid to prevention and that the deductible for each treatment should be maximized, so that if you become seriously ill, you won’t have to pay the full deductible at once. This measure has already been proposed by the current Cabinet.

“Publish that list”

The lack of transparency about the cost of the NSC’s plans led to a heated debate between Vijlbrief and Van Hijum during the debate on public finances. “What I don’t understand: Are you going to tell me what you’re going to spend and what you’re going to tax?” said Van Heegum, a D66 member.

The National Security Council member said: “We do not make expensive promises that we cannot keep. We do not promise to exempt everyone from taxes.” Fegelbriev continued: “The voter has the right to know the cost of this.” “Just post that list.”

But this overview is not forthcoming. Van Heegum noted that his party had not even been established when he had to submit his plans to the Chinese central bank, but he did not want to say whether the National Security Council would consider the plans next time. “I can’t rule that out.”

VVD and GroenLinks-PvdA are opposites again

GroenLinks-PvdA and VVD also disagreed strongly during this discussion on the issue of how to pay for all the plans. The left-wing party wants not only to increase health care costs, but also to cut taxes on low- and middle-income people. All this costs tens of billions more.

The party wants to raise this money from people with a lot of assets and companies. If it were up to GroenLinks-PvdA, the wealthy would have to pay more taxes on this. A much larger share of corporate profits must also flow to the treasury. D66 also wants corporations and the wealthy to contribute more.

Without hindrance

The VVD doesn’t want that. This party leaves the tax on wealth and income almost unchanged. The problem “is not that we tax too little, but that we spend too much,” says Heijnen.

The RTL Z election debate can be watched again tomorrow in two parts on RTL Z, at 3:30pm and 4:30pm.