Medical benefits

The basic package

The government has put together a basic package that health insurance companies are legally obliged to offer. With the basic package you are covered for the following:

• Medical care, including services by GP's, hospitals, medical specialists and obstetricians
• Hospital stay
• Dental care (up until the age of 18 years, when 18 years or older you are only covered for specialist dental care and false teeth)
• Various medical appliances
• Various medicines
• Prenatal care
• Patient transport (e.g. ambulance)
• Paramedical care

You can decide to purchase additional insurance for circumstances not included in the basic package. However, in this case insurance companies can reject your application and they have the right to determine the price. The basic package costs roughly 95 euros per month.

If you are working for a company in the Netherlands, you could also opt for a collective health insurance policy. This could be a good option as it is often cheaper. However, you are not obliged to buy such a policy if it is offered to you and your employer is not obliged to make you an offer. Speak to your employer about the possibilities.

The 'no-claim' rebate

In the Netherlands, everyone who pays health insurance premiums is now entitled to a rebate of up to 255 euros if no claim is made during the preceding year. This is known as the 'no-claim rebate rule'. Those who do incur health costs, but less than 255 euros, will receive a reduced rebate equal to the difference between the actual costs and the maximum rebate amount.

The costs of GP consultations and maternity care (prenatal and neonatal) are disregarded when calculating the rebate entitlement. The no-claim rebate rule applies only to the standard insurance cover, and not to any supplementary policies. The rule also does not apply to persons under the age of 18 (since they do not pay premiums).