All health insurers in the Netherlands have now announced their premium rates for 2025. According to data gathered by health insurance comparison website Zorgwijzer, premiums will increase by an average of more than 11 euros per month next year.
November 12 was the deadline for health insurance providers to announce their 2025 rates and while the first insurer announced their premium increase in September, with all the numbers now in, we can get a broader view of how much Dutch healthcare will cost next year. Zorgwijzer has calculated that on average, people will pay 158,72 euros per month for basic insurance - 11,32 euros more than this year.
Of the four biggest health insurers - Zilveren Kruis, CZ, VGZ and Menzis - which together cover 85 percent of the Dutch healthcare market, the largest monthly premium rise of 14,14 euros, belongs to CZ. Policyholders with Zilveren Kruis will see the smallest increase of the big four with “only” 8,80 euros extra per month.
The difference between the most expensive and cheapest basic insurance is 433 euros for 2025. This means that it is important to compare health insurance policies and pick one that gives the greatest value for money to prevent overpaying for health insurance. Policyholders have until the end of the year to change health insurance providers.
The health insurance companies blame the rising cost of healthcare in the Netherlands for the higher premiums. With the increase in wages for workers, inflation pushing up the prices of medicines and procedures and the growing pressure on the healthcare system from the ageing population, healthcare is becoming more expensive.
One way that health insurers are planning to combat higher healthcare costs is by scrapping the restitution type of health insurance policy which allows people to choose where they get medical treatments. Now, policyholders will either have to go to a medical centre that has a contract with the insurer or they will have to cover more of the cost themselves.
According to the 2025 budget, the Dutch government will increase the maximum healthcare allowance from 123 euros to 130 euros per month for single people and from 236 euros to 249 euros per month for partners. However, according to Zorgwijzer the rising insurance premium costs mean that a large part of the population will actually need to pay more for healthcare themselves.
In their premium hike announcement, Menzis urges the government to pay the healthcare allowance directly to health insurers rather than into the recipient’s bank account. “We want to make it easier for our customers,” Menzis financial director Dirk Jan Sloots told NU.nl. “Then you no longer run the risk that the allowance is spent on other things. We do not want to prescribe what you should spend your healthcare allowance on, but we think we can make it easier for people.”