General

Healthcare in the Netherlands is of excellent quality, but also very expensive. It is important to understand how the health sytem in the Netherlands works and make sure you have the entitlement to free care or the appropriate insurance so you have coverage.

Being insured for GP (General Practitioner) and hospital costs is very important throughout your stay in the Netherlands. Medical costs are very high. Fortunately, there is a good public healthcare system called Ziekenfonds. If you earn above €32,750, you do not qualify for public coverage and are required to get private health insurance (Particuliere Ziektekostenverzekering).

To get a residency permit it is required to have adequate health insurance. If you are insured via social security or welfare in your own country, you should ask whether there is a reciprocal health insurance agreement between your country and the Netherlands. If there is not, you will need to get private insurance.

EU Citizens

If you are a European Union citizen, you are automatically entitled to free basic healthcare in the Netherlands due to reciprocal agreements among EU countries. Since the 1st June 2004, European citizens who are travelling within the European Economic Area are given a European Health Insurance Card, which simplifies the procedure when receiving medical assistance during their stay in a Member State. The European Health Insurance Card replaces forms E111 and E111B, E110, E128 and E119.

Public Healthcare

Approximately 63 percent of the Dutch population is insured via the statutory health insurance fund Ziekenfonds. The insurance covers basic medical care, such as general practitioners and medical specialists, hospital care, medicines, physiotherapy and dental treatment for children. It is paid from automatic deductions from your salary after you start working in the Netherlands. A small fee of about €25 needs to be paid monthly to the insurance company of your choice. Dental costs and glasses are usually not covered in a standard insurance policy, these will add another €5 to €50 to your monthly bill, depending on the type of coverage you want.

You can choose any insurance company for the Ziekenfonds, as they are all bound by law to follow the same rules. You then give details of your insurance to your doctor and pharmacy. Bills will then be automatically sent to the insurance company. No more hassle for you. If there are charges that are not covered by your policy, they will be billed to you by your insurance company afterwards.

Private Healthcare

Everyone in the Netherlands who is not eligable for a public insurance (Ziekenfondsverzekering), must get private health insurance, Particuliere Ziektekostenverzekering. Within private insurance, there is a wide range of choice of different policies, with difference levels of coverage (and charges). Most insurance companies have 3 schemes: basic, plus and total. Basic will be the cheapest and give the least coverage, plus will include more things and total will be the most expensive and give the most complete coverage. Common variables within policies are limits on reimbursement, a choice of deductibles and limitations based on where care is provided. These all influence your monthly fee.

Usually with a particuliere ziektenkostenverzekering you pay all costs yourself. You then send bills to your insurance company and they reimburse you. When choosing a provider, take the time to carefully compare different offers as there might be hidden charges or non-refundable items hidden away in the small print.