Basic Service Healthcare Provider
A Basic Service Healthcare Provider (BSHP), colloquially referred to in Vistaraland as a Pillensnijder ("Pill cutter") company, is a form of health insurance provider which prioritizes minimizing costs while providing the legal minimum coverage. Though the degree of coverage that includes varies widely by country and region, BSHPs market themselves as the affordable option for consumers - especially in jurisdictions where private healthcare is compulsory.
The term came about in the lead-up to the 1998 Health Relief Act in Vistaraland, in which some provinces began to construct a legal minimum requirement of coverage for all citizens. To those that either could not afford insurance, or those who expressed skepticism to science-based medicine, the creation of BSHP companies allowed them to fulfil their legal obligations at a reduced cost. In a number of provinces, most prolifically in Sereena, BSHPs were used by local governments to provide compulsory insurance to those without access to healthcare.
Following their emergence in the 1990s, BSHP companies have emerged as both large enterprises covering underdeveloped regions. However, their reputation has been mired in criticism by governments, regulators and journalists, due to their model of cutting corners to provide a minimum cost service. Redeheil, one of the largest BSHPs, has suffered repeated scandals for failing to reach even the minimum standard of care in some cases, leaving patients to either pay to fill in the gaps or be left in a dilatating condition. These scandals formed the origin for the colloquial name of Pillensnijder, comparing the use of BSHP companies to the cutting up of medication to make it last longer.
In response to both the prevalence and poor reputation of BSHPs, a number of healthcare insurance companies have introduced Basic Service plans, providing similar low-cost coverage from a more trusted enterprise. As such, in recent years, the services offered by these companies and traditional health insurance companies have blurred, with a number of primarily BSHP companies offering additional coverage plans as a way to sell to low-income consumers with needs outside the basic legal requirement for health insurance.