Health insurance in 2024 (Zorgverzekering)

During the month of December every year it is possible to change health insurance, in this post I put all the things you should know to make an informed decision at the time of hiring health insurance. There are several types of policies with different features and costs that are worthwhile.

The easiest way to save on your insurance premium is to compare all insurance companies in Netherlands. You have until December 31, 2023 to make the insurance change. This post is long so you can click on the table of contents to jump to the section you are most interested in.

Types of health insurance in the Netherlands

There are four varieties of health insurance: reimbursement (restitutie), combined (combinatie), contracted care (natura) and budget (budget). These insurances present notable differences, especially with regard to the premium and the number of medical service providers contracted. Here you can see what the differences are between these health insurance options so that you can be better informed when choosing your health insurance.

What is a refund policy(restitutiepolis)?

With a reimbursement policy, you have total freedom to choose your medical care. This means that you can go to any health care provider included in the basic coverage without having to pay extra. There is no need to consider contracts. However, for most health care services covered by basic insurance, you must always pay your own deductible first.

In the case of additional insurance services, such as physical therapy or alternative medicines, it is important to verify whether your insurer has a contract with the medical service provider. Some insurers offering reimbursement policies may not fully reimburse for those services if there is no contract.

Keep in mind: Do you plan to go to an expensive private clinic, resulting in exorbitant health care costs? In that case, the insurer may decide not to cover the entire bill.

• Free choice of hospital or medical provider.
• Medical care covered at 100% of the basic coverage (except deductible).
• Exception: bills that are significantly higher than average may not be fully covered.

What is a combined policy(combinatiepolis)?

The combined policy has similarities with the reimbursement policy. In this case, you enjoy freedom of choice in your medical care and, in many cases, you can go to a variety of health care providers. However, these options vary depending on the type of medical care. For example, you can choose any hospital, but not all clinical centers. In a combined policy, the insurer has contractual agreements with health care providers.

• You have the flexibility to choose your own hospital or medical provider.
• If the supplier has a contract: 100% reimbursement.
• If the supplier does not have a contract: reimbursement up to a maximum limit. This limit varies according to the insurer.

What is a contracted assistance policy(naturapolis)?

If you have a natura policy, it is very important to examine the contracts that your insurer has established with the health care providers. If you go to a non-contracted provider, the insurer will not fully cover the bill. Often, you would have to pay 20% of the costs on your own. Fortunately, insurers with a natura policy usually have a wide choice of contract health care providers.

• Almost all hospitals are covered.
• Not all clinical centers and physical therapists are covered.
• If you choose a non-contracted health care provider, you will have to pay part of the bill yourself.

What is anaturapolis-budget assistance policy(naturapolis-budget)?

Similar to the natura policy, an insurer with an affordable policy has established contracts with health care providers. If you visit a contracted health care provider, the insurer will reimburse you for the entire bill. However, if you go to a non-contracted supplier, you generally have to pay 20% of the invoice yourself.

In contrast to the natura policy, the supply of contract health care providers in the low-cost insurers is not extensive. It is important to take this detail into account before taking out health insurance.

• A limited number of hospitals are covered.
• A limited number of clinics and physical therapists are covered.
• If you choose a non-contracted health care provider, you will have to pay part of the bill yourself.

Where can I compare health insurance in the Netherlands?

There is a website that you can use to compare the different health insurances available in the Netherlands, its name is independer.nl. Just fill in your details and the site will show you which health insurance is the cheapest. You can click on the banner below to help support the blog and future articles.

The main difference between cheap and expensive health insurance is the number of hospitals you can choose to receive treatment, the cheapest insurance may not include your nearest hospital, so it is important that you check this before taking out insurance.

The cheapest health insurance in 2024

As mentioned above, there are four different types of health insurance, and the premium and coverage for each varies. Listed below are the most economical options for each type of policy along with the main features of each policy, considering a standard deductible of 385 euros.

The cheapest health insurance with an economical policy(Budgetpolis)

The cheapest budgetpolis in 2024:

1. Aevitae – Natura Select € 139,45
2. De Christelijke Zorgverzekeraar – Principe Polis Budget € 140,45
3. Zilveren Kruis – Basis Budget € 140.45

Main characteristics of the economic policy (Budgetpolis):

• Reimbursement in a limited number of hospitals.
• Limited coverage in clinics and physical therapists.
• In the case of a medical service provider without a contract, part of the bill must be paid.

The cheapest health insurance with natura policy

The cheapest natura policies in 2024:

1. FBTO – Basic € 131.95
2. De Friesland – Zelf Bewust Polis € 136,95
3. Zorg en Zekerheid – Zorg Gemak Polis € 138,65

Main features of the policy natura (Naturapolis):

• Reimbursement in almost all hospitals.
• Not all treatments in clinics and physiotherapists are reimbursed.
• If a non-contracted health care provider is chosen, part of the bill must be paid.

The cheapest health insurance with reimbursement policy(restitutiepolis)

The cheapest reimbursement policies in 2024:

1. Aevitae – Basisverzekering Restitutie € 160,95
2. Menzis – Basis Vrij€ 161.75
3. Zilveren Kruis – Basis Exclusief € 161.75

Main features of the reimbursement policy (Restitutiepolis):

• Completely free choice of hospital or medical provider.
• Reimbursement of 100% of the medical services covered by the basic insurance (except for the deductible).
• Exceptions for significantly higher than average bills, such as an expensive private clinic.

The cheapest health insurance with combined policy(combinatiepolis)

Combined policy (Combinatiepolis):

• Own choice of hospital or medical provider.
• 100% reimbursement with a contracted medical service provider.
• For non-contracted medical providers, reimbursement is up to a maximum limit, which varies by insurer.

The most affordable combination policies in 2024:

1. VinkVink – Basisverzekering € 132,90
2. Anderzorg – Basis € 141.25
3. HEMA – Basisverzekering € 141.75

Health insurance deductible in the Netherlands (Eigen Risico)

Since January 1, 2008, the Dutch health insurance system includes a mandatory deductible. This means that sometimes you have to pay part of the health care costs. The deductible is a legal obligation in basic health insurance.

In addition to changing your health insurance, there is another way to save on your monthly premium by increasing your health insurance deductible.

In 2024 the mandatory deductible remains at 385 euros. Optionally, the deductible can be increased up to a maximum of 885 euros per year. If you do this, your monthly premium will be lower. There are some occasions when it is appropriate to increase the deductible up to the maximum.

How much does the premium drop with the higher deductible?

If you take out the higher deductible of 885 euros instead of 385, the premium can be reduced by up to 240 euros per year. Below is a table from independer.nl where you can see the cheapest insurers and how much you can save monthly if you choose the highest deductible of €885.

Seguros médicos mas baratos en 2024

So you can say that you can have a high deductible health expenses once every 2 years (more than 385 euros) to benefit from the savings.

When it pays to have the highest deductible

If your answer to the following questions is no, you may want to consider increasing your deductible.

• Have you spent more than your deductible in the last 2 or 3 years? You can check this on your health insurer’s website.
• Do you think you will have high medical expenses (exceeding your deductible) next year? Of course, this is only a prediction. If you decide to increase your deductible, make sure you have the money you need. Maybe you can create a saving for that.

Another way to save on health insurance

Another way to save on your health insurance is to pay the premium all at once, i.e. annually. There are insurance companies that give a discount if you pay the insurance this way. And you might even be able to save a little estate tax.

By clicking on the banner below you will be redirected to the health insurance comparator. If you sign up through independer you will also get a 10 euro voucher for Decathon.

Made with information from independer.nl