Month: January 2018

Children under the age of 18 are always covered under their parent’s premium for the basic package and dental care. Parents must register their child with an insurance company within four months of its birth.

When you are legally living or working in the Netherlands for longer than four months, it is compulsory to get a Dutch health insurance, the so-called basisverzekering (basic insurance). If you have an international health insurance, please be aware that this might not be accepted, as it is not recognised as a valid Dutch health insurance. Upon arrival, it is best to have a look in your policy to see what the coverage of your international health insurance is.

The following rule applies:

If you are insured under the Wet Langdurige Zorg – Wlz (Long-term Care Act) you are obliged to take out a Dutch health insurance. You can ask the Social Security Office (Sociale Verzekeringsbank- SVB) if you are insured under this act.

If you are living illegally in the Netherlands, you can get urgent medical help without paying. The doctor decides which help is urgent in each individual case.

When you are traveling in the EU/EEA (including Switzerland) and carry Dutch health insurance, you are entitled to the same health care as the locals. However, administration and reimbursement for public health care will be easier if you have the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You can apply for the EHIC with your health insurance company and you will need to show it if you go to see a doctor or get hospital treatment abroad. Please bear in mind the following:

• EHIC is accepted only by doctors or hospitals under the local public health care system or so-called ‘statutory’ health care system. Therefore, private health care is not covered. If you are unsure, check with your insurance company about where you can go
• Only emergency care abroad is covered.
• If you are travelling abroad specifically for medical treatment the EHIC does not apply.

Your regular Dutch insurance covers costs abroad up to the Dutch tariff. In other countries tariffs are often higher and you might get financial problems paying the bill. Therefore it is suggested to take out a travel insurane for medical costs.

If you work in the Netherlands but reside in another country, different rules apply. In this case you can ask your Dutch health insurance company for an E106 form. With the 106 form, you are entitled to the statutorily insured medical care in your country of residence without having to pay a premium. However, costs will not always be reimbursed 100%.  For more information, please contact your Dutch health insurance company.

Information for EU citizens

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/unplanned-healthcare/going-to-hospital-abroad/index_en.htm

Information for Dutch residents

https://www.government.nl/topics/travelling-outside-the-netherlands/question-and-answer/am-i-covered-by-my-health-insurance-when-i-go-on-holiday-abroad

The eigen risico (deductible) does not apply to all care from the basic health insurance. The following care services  are excluded from the deductible:

• Visits to your huisarts (GP) or huisartsenpost (GP centre that opens outside office hours). Tests or prescribed medicine are not excluded from the deductible
• Maternity care and assistance at delivery
• Loans of medical equipment
• Certain care for some chronic diseases like diabetes type 2
• Healthcare for children under the age of 18
• Follow-up check-ups for organ donation and travel costs for organ donation

Find more information at the government’s website (in Dutch only):

www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/zorgverzekering/vraag-en-antwoord/eigen-risico-zorgverzekering

If you don’t take out Dutch health insurance within four months after registering in the Netherlands, you will get a letter from the CAK, the Dutch Healthcare Institute, reminding you to take out health care insurance within three months. If you fail to do so, you will have to pay a penalty. Then you will get another three months to take out a health insurance. If you still haven’t done that after this time, you will have to pay a second penalty and the CAK will arrange a health insurance for you. The verzekeringspremie (insurance premium) will be higher than if you had taken out health insurance yourself. Please note that this premium will be automatically deducted from your income during 12 months.

You need to have a Dutch health insurance within four months from the day you have a residence permit and are  registered with the gemeente (municipality). Please note that you will pay Dutch health insurance from the day you registered. Meaning, if you registered on 1 January but you take out the Dutch insurance on 1 March, you still have to pay for January and February. You can arrange reimbursement for health care costs incurred during that period.

If obtaining a verblijfsvergunning (residence permit) takes a while, it is possible to take out a voluntary and temporary health insurance. This is a health insurance for those who do not have a verblijfsvergunning yet.  An example of such an insurance can be found on the website of insurance company Oom https://www.oominsurance.com/to-the-netherlands/schengen-visitor-insurance/

If you are temporarily residing in the Netherlands (fewer than four months), you are not allowed to take out a Dutch health insurance. In that case, you should make sure to extend the international or travel insurance from your home country.

If you take out a Dutch health insurance, you have to pay from the day you registered with the gemeente (municipality). Therefore, you may have to pay insurance premiums to the insurance company retrospectively. Please note that most insurance companies should allow you to pay the amount you owe in instalments.