The health insurance system in the Netherlands works slightly differently from the social or health institutions of other European countries. This blog article will explain everything you need to know about the eigen risico (literally “own risk”, or deductibles) that all Dutch medical insurance companies mention in their policy.
If you decide to move to The Netherlands to live and/or work, it is compulsory to sign up for a Dutch health insurance plan. The monthly premium amount set by the government is a guideline for Dutch health insurance providers, who determine their own prices at the end of the year.
These insurance providers also need to adhere to the Dutch government mandates outlining what is covered in the basic package, which usually consists of general coverage and a compulsory deductible.
For more information check the following link: here
Eigen Risico: the legal amount
Every year, the government sets the fixed legal amount of insurance eigen risico. What this means is that you have to pay the first fixed legal amount in medical expenses yourself. Bills exceeding this amount will be paid directly via your insurer, depending on your chosen policy.
However, you can also negotiate these costs by choosing a voluntary deductible of up to €500 more. In this way, your monthly premium for basic insurance would initially become cheaper. Nevertheless, you could eventually incur more healthcare costs than the basic health insurance package!
You don’t pay excess deductible fees for the following expenses:
- General Practitioner
- Costs for nursing care
- Maternity care
- Obstetric care
- Cost of integrated care for diabetes: There is an increasing number of healthcare providers who treat people with diabetes (DM2 or increased risk) in the Netherlands.
- Vascular risk: addressing risk factors for cardiovascular disease
- COPD: chronic lung disease
- Check-ups for donors
We do recommend checking with your own health insurance company to clarify the details of your own policy and avoid any misunderstandings. Make sure to remember that changing your current Dutch health insurance to another one is only possible between December 15th and December 31st of the year.
For more information about Dutch health insurance, we recommend the following websites: https://access-nl.org/healthcare-netherlands/dutch-healthcare-system/
Abroad Experience International Recruitment wishes you the best of luck in your brand-new Dutch adventure!
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