Dutch health insurance premiums to increase yet again

On Prince’s Day, which isn’t far away, the Dutch governmental budget plans will be announced. According to sources in The Hague, next year we can expect health insurance premiums to increase yet again. This confirms previous suspicions this year about rising premiums.

Increasing health insurance premiums in the Netherlands

In 2019, the government predicts that basic Dutch health insurance will cost around 1.432 euros per year. This is 124 euros more than last year. The increase in cost equates to a little over 10 euros extra per month.

Something that hasn’t and won’t change this year is the eigen risico or “own risk” amount. This will remain at 385 euros, as decided in the coalition agreement for the duration of the Rutte III governmental term. It is however, partly due to the freezing of the own risk amount that premiums are expected to rise. It is likely that premiums will also increase further in the coming years.

Other reasons for the increase in health insurance premiums include the increase in prices and salary in the healthcare sector due to the good economy and the amassment of afforded medical expenses, for example due to extra care needed for the ageing population or new treatments and medicines that have been added to the health insurance package, amongst other things.

The Dutch government, of course, does not decide the final rates provided by health insurers, they just provide a guideline. Towards the end of September until November 12, health insurers will announce their chosen health insurance premiums for the coming year.

Higher healthcare allowance

In order to compensate for the higher premiums for Dutch health insurance, a higher amount of healthcare allowance will be available for those with a low income. For single-person households, the maximum available healthcare allowance will increase by 92 euros and for multiple-person households by 277 euros.

All figures mentioned are not set in stone until they are announced by the government this coming Tuesday, September 18 (Prince’s Day).