Rising health insurance costs pushing people to take higher deductibles

Significantly higher health insurance premiums for 2023 are forcing an increasing number of people in the Netherlands to increase their deductible in order to save money, Independer reports.

Dutch health insurance costs rising considerably in 2023

With December right around the corner, people across the Netherlands are looking into options for saving money on their health insurance, perhaps by switching to another company or by significantly increasing their eigen risico, or deductible, in order to reduce their monthly costs. 

While DSW - the first insurer to announce their premiums for the new year - raised their rates by “just” 9,75 euros a month, some people have seen their monthly costs rise by over 10 euros. On Prinsjesdag, the Dutch government announced that the healthcare allowance will increase in 2023, but for many, this won’t be enough to help them cover their rising outgoing costs. 

People in the Netherlands take a higher eigen risico to save money

According to figures from the price comparison site Independer, since the final insurance announced their new rates for 2023, the number of people in the Netherlands who have opted for the maximum eigen risico rate of 885 euros has increased from 25,7 percent in 2020 to 38,7 percent. In doing so, some could save up to 300 euros a year. 

While perhaps a good idea in theory, the reality is that 64 percent of people who opt for a deductible of 885 euros don’t have that money to hand. This means that they run the risk of not being able to afford the healthcare they need if they run into any health issues in 2023. In a survey carried out by Q&A Insight, 44 percent of respondents also said they sometimes avoided going to a doctor, hospital, or dentist to not have to pay for the care they would receive. 

“Healthcare premiums are going up considerably and people are looking for ways to save on that,” Bas Knopperts, a healthcare expert at Independer, told the AD. “Please note that with an increased deductible, you do need a buffer for any higher healthcare costs,” he warned.