When you want to work in the Netherlands, you first need to arrange some things before you can actually start working in the Netherlands. One of these things is the health insurance. When you want to live or work in the Netherlands, you are obliged to arrange health insurance in the Netherlands. This also counts when you are for temporary work in the Netherlands.

There are a lot of different insurances, with various prices,  offered by numerous companies. How does health insurance work in het Netherlands? Which one do you need to choose? How can you arrange a health insurance?

Well, don’t worry. OrangeJobs is here to help you.

Health insurance Netherlands

Dutch health insurance

Health insurance is obligatory for all people who reside or work in the Netherlands. This needs to be arranged within four months after registration in the Netherlands. If you do not arrange this, you will receive a letter from the CAK asking you to arrange this within 3 months.

If you still haven’t arranged your  insurance after this period, a fine will be issued to you with an amount of 437 euro. You will get a second fine of the same amount when you still didn’t take action.

Also, you need to pay all the medical costs yourself when you become sick without having a Dutch or foreign insurance. So, don’t neglect this and take serious action by arranging your insurance on time.

The Dutch insurance system is funded by taxation and consists of two main costs:

  • Monthly premium (premie), that is the total amount what you pay for your insurance per month. This differs between companies and the health package that you have.
  • Own risk (eigen risico), an annual amount of €385 that you must pay by yourself when you need to be treated or when you need to get medicines. Some of the treatments and medicines are already covered by the basic health insurance. When you have reached the maximum amount of €385, your insurer will cover the rest of your medical costs. Did you not have any treatments and medicines? Then you don’t have to pay the own risk

Furthermore, the Dutch health insurance consists of two types:

  • Basic health insurance (basisverzekering) which is compulsory
  • Additional health insurance (aanvullende verzekering) which is optional

Basic health insurance

The Dutch basic health insurance is compulsory and the medical coverage is the same for all insurers. The Dutch government decides what needs to be included in the basic package every year. It costs around €110-134 per month and the price differs between the insurance companies. The following treatments are covered by the basic health insurance:

  • Doctor appointments (huisarts)
  • Pregnancy services
  • Physiotherapy (fysiotherapie) and dental care (tandarts) for children under 18 years
  • Some medicines

You don’t need to pay the own risk when you are using the above mentioned services. However, the following list provides an overview of services that are also covered by the basic health insurance, but here you need to pay a part of the costs which are added to your annual amount of own risk.

  • Blood test
  • Emergency treatment and stays at hospitals
  • Medicines (medicijnen)
  • Appointments with medical specialist such as a psychologist etc.

You can find a full overview of the coverage of the basic health insurance on the website of the Dutch government.

Additional health insurance

Additional health insurance provides extra coverage for medical costs that is not covered by the basic health insurance. The following services are covered or partially covered by the additional health insurance:

  • Vaccinations
  • Health care abroad
  • Dental care for adults over 18 years
  • Physiotherapy for adults
  • Glasses
  • And more

The prices and services regarding the additional health insurance differ between insurers. You can find all prices and coverage services on their websites.

Dutch health insurers

If you want to see all Dutch health insurers or if you want to compare them, please visit Independer or Zorgwijzer. These websites will give you a full overview of all health insurers in the Netherlands. Also, the most suitable health insurances will be shown to you based on your preferences and selections.

How to arrange health insurance

  1. Register yourself at your local service in order to get your citizen service number (BSN number).
  2. Request a DigiD. This will make it more easier to request your insurance and other things regarding the Dutch government
  3. Choose the insurance that suits you the best and register on the website of the provider from your choice.

Registering at local doctor

After arranging your health insurance, you can register yourself at your local doctor. You can make an appointment with them to discuss if you have any health problems. How to find your local doctor? Well, that’s very easy. Go to kiesuwhuisarts.nl, fill in your postcode or street name and the list of doctors will appear. Also, you need to register with your local pharmacy. This is required in order to track your medical records and to make it easier for your doctor to send prescriptions to the pharmacy. Sometimes, you are automatically registered at the pharmacy when you register for your local doctor.

Tips

  • You cannot be denied by insurances companies when you are registering for insurance.
  • You can switch or change your insurance once a year. The deadline for this is 31st December every year.
  • If you have a low income, you may be eligible to receive health care allowance (zorgtoeslag). Do you want to know how to arrange a health care allowance? Read this article to obtain the more information about the health care allowance.

If this is too difficult for you, then you can make use of the health insurance that Orangejobs provides for their employees. Read this article to obtain more information about OrangeJobs health insurance.