How does the Dutch healthcare system work?

What do you need before you can apply for a Dutch health insurance?

• BSN number
• Valid passport
• Dutch bank account

How to get a Dutch health Insurance?

There are two steps to getting health insurance in the Netherlands:

1. Choose a health insurance plan that fits your needs and get it on the health insurer’s website
There are dozens of health insurers in the Netherlands. To keep things simple, we have compared three health insurers for you: FBTO & Menzis, two of the biggest health insurers in the Netherlands. And ONVZ, a smaller insurer, but the most reliable health insurer in the Netherlands appears in “Health Insurance Customer Monitor 2023”. It also has an English-language website.. You can use the links in the following table to get a health insurance plan. The average costs for basic insurance are €100-€140 and are the same for everyone, regardless of age or health status.

2. Registering with a general practitioner
After getting health insurance, register with a PCP near you. You can do this for free via https://www.zorgkaartnederland.nl/huisarts. From the moment your registration is confirmed and you actually want to see the doctor, you can make an appointment. If the doctor considers it necessary, they will refer you to the hospital.

The Dutch healthcare system explained

The Dutch healthcare system is complex, but functions really well. The system is regulated by the government but run by private health insurers. All health insurers work with a basic insurance and a supplementary insurance. Depending on your personal situation, you can choose to get supplementary insurance. What are the different types of coverage? This is explained below.

Basic insurance
Basic insurance is obligatory and all health insurers offer the same plan. The contents of this plan are set by the government. Care that does not fall under basic insurance can be further subdivided into care where you pay a deductible and care that does not require you to pay a deductible. Click here for more information about deductibles.

Which deductible

• Seeing a medical specialist
• Hospital stay, operations and emergency care
• Ambulance
• Medicines (most)
• Blood tests
• Mental health
• Physiotherapy
• Speech therapy Occupational therapy
• Dietary advice
• Medical aids
• Handicapped care
• Geriatric care

No deductible

• Primary care physician
• Dentist (up to age 18)
• Physiotherapy (up to age 18)
• Pregnancy and maternity care
• Home nursing
• Combined lifestyle intervention

Additional Insurance Coverage

Depending on your personal situation, you may decide to get supplementary insurance. This is where health insurers compete with each other.

Important: If you get supplementary insurance, always check the conditions of the policy or consult with the insurer. The overview presented below is only an indication. No rights can be derived from it.

• Dental costs for people older than 18. A regular checkup costs about €30-50. If you have good oral health and strong teeth you may decide not to get supplementary insurance, which costs more than regular checkups. Do you regularly have problems with your mouth? Then it makes sense to get supplementary insurance.
• Emergency help abroad
• Alternative therapies
• Vaccinations (Coronavirus vaccines are free)
• Hearing aids
• Glasses and contact lenses
• Plastic surgery
• Birth control

How much does health insurance cost in the Netherlands?

How much does health insurance cost exactly? The average amount for basic insurance is about €120 per month. Are you getting supplementary insurance? Then that amount may be higher.

Obligatory deductible
With basic insurance you will be paying part of the medical costs yourself (except for the ‘No deductible’ care listed above, which falls under basic insurance). This is the obligatory deductible. The deductible applies to everyone, regardless of who the health insurer is. The cost of the obligatory deductible is determined by the government every year. For 2022, the obligatory deductible is €385. The obligatory deductible is for everyone 18 or older. Children pay no deductible.

• The deductible applies for an entire calendar year (January 1 to December 31).
• The deductible is paid in addition to your premium.
• First you pay the deductible, then you can get compensation from your basic insurance.
• For supplementary insurance there is no deductible at all.
• Certain care modalities from basic insurance have no deductible either, like the primary care physician.

Example 1: You’re not feeling well and make an appointment with the PCP. An appointment with the PCP does not fall under the deductible. If the PCP does not refer you further and does not prescribe any medication, you pay nothing.

Example 2: You’re not feeling well and make an appointment with the PCP. The PCP sends you to a specialist at the hospital for further tests. The appointment with the specialist does fall under the deductible, so you would pay part or all of the costs up to an amount of €385 (unless you voluntarily chose to have a higher deductible). Anything above that amount is covered by the health insurer. This amount is reset at the start of the new year.

Voluntary Deductible
In addition to the obligatory deductible there is also a voluntary deductible. You can voluntarily raise your obligatory deductible to €485, €585, €685, €785, or a maximum of €885. The higher your deductible, the lower your insurance premium. Just like with the obligatory deductible, you yourself pay the voluntary deductible before any costs are compensated from the basic insurance. This amount also applies for an entire calendar year (January 1 to December 31).