The end of the year approaches, which means celebrating Sinterklaas and Christmas with your family. But let’s not forget another important activity: switching health insurance plans.
To help you get forward, we have listed some important questions and answers about the Dutch healthcare system.
The basic insurance is already quite substantial in terms of cover, as it includes:
All urgent care regarding COVID-19 is also covered through your basic insurance package. There is no need to get extra cover. Children (until they are 18) are insured for free. They won’t pay any premiums or deductible. Moreover, they get most dental treatments reimbursed as well.
Good to know: insurance companies are obligated to accept anyone who applies for a basic insurance package, regardless of their age, sex or medical history.
The prices for basic health insurance range from 109 to 148 euros per year if you choose a 385 euros deductible. You will pay a few euros extra if you want to choose your own hospital for scheduled treatments. If you want to choose your healthcare provider at all times, you will end up paying around 125 to 130 euros per month for a basic plan with a “freedom of choice” restitution policy.
Good to know: you may be entitled to a healthcare allowance from the government, depending on your income.
Raising your deductible excess (eigen risico) to 885 euros will lower your premium with approximately 20 to 25 euros per month, which is significant. This little trick will save you money if your healthcare expenses stay below 385 euros next year. However, if you expect an expensive scheduled hospital treatment or if you need a lot of medication, it may be unfavourable to choose a higher than the standard deductible.
The standard deductible excess is 385 euros in 2021, just like in previous years. Choosing a lower deductible is not possible.
The Dutch insurance companies offer a variety of packages that cover, for example:
When choosing supplemental insurance, be sure to check whether your reimbursement amount is higher than the premium you are paying. Otherwise, it may be cheaper to pay for certain supplemental care out of pocket.
Changing your health insurance plan is easy, as long as you do it before the first of January 2021. Just follow these five steps:
Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands is legally obliged to take out standard health insurance to cover medical expenses. Although, this may be different for international students without a job.
If you are unsure about your insurance status, contact Zorgverzekeringslijn.nl on 0800 – 64 64 644 to ask for help. Once you know you are eligible, you can use Zorgwijzer’s English comparison tool to find a cheap and good plan for your situation.