There was some uncertainty as to whether the content of the press release, published on March 11, is a fact or a recommendation.
LVAD.nl has contacted the National Health Care Institute from which the press release was sent, this is their answer:
Topic: RE: Letter
Date: August 5, 2015 08:58:04 CEST
On: “'LVAD.nl'”
Mrs Verbraak,
You can refer to the letter and the report that I sent. You can't get it more official and formal. Incidentally, it is not unusual for insurers to have difficulty with such an 'interpretation', because they often have not purchased this form of care. But really: if such a letter has been sent, this form of care is 'insured care in the basic package'.
Sincerely,
Kees ……
………………………………………………………………
Strategy Communication & Board Support
Zorginstituut Nederland
Eekholt 4 | 1112 XH | Diemen
PO Box 320 | 1110 AH | Diemen
…
To be sure, I also asked the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport for this response:
Topic: Support heart in basic package
Date: August 13, 2015 13:54:40 CEST
On:
Dear Ms Breakage,
Thanks for your message. It's great to hear that you're doing well thanks to a supportive heart.
With the interpretation of the National Health Care Institute (ZiNL) of 27 February 2015, the assistive heart or the (Left) Ventricular Assist Devices ((L)VADs) has been included in the basic package.
That does not mean that many more people are now eligible for an assisted heart. As you also write on your website, only patients with end-stage heart failure are eligible, based on a careful selection by the doctors.
And this only happens in a few university medical centers, because all preconditions for this complex (after)care must be properly arranged.
Thanks in part to scientific research in these UMCs and the quality criteria of the professional groups, ZiNL has judged that the assisted heart meets the requirements for inclusion in the basic package.
I trust to have informed you sufficiently with this.
Sincerely,
Indra ……..
Public information officer
Communications Department
Ministry of Health, wellbeing and sports
Postal address: PO Box 20350, 2500 EJ The Hague
Visiting address: Parnassusplein 5, 2511 VX The Hague