What is in the basic insurance?

In the Netherlands, it is compulsory to have one's own basic insurance from the age of 18. Until the age of 18, the basic insurance is free. There are different kinds of basic insurances and the contents and the premium can differ per year. In this article we will elaborate on what a basic insurance entails and what care is included in the basic insurance.

What is the basic insurance?

Basic insurance is the health insurance you have to take out in the Netherlands from the age of 18. This basic package is compiled by the government. With the basic insurance you are insured for care that is considered medically necessary according to the government. Such as costs for family doctor, hospital care, maternity care and many medicines. Each health insurer has the same basic insurance content, but the premium and conditions may differ.

What types of basic insurance are there?

There are different types of basic insurance. All basic insurance policies entitle you to the same care. But there is an important difference in the way you are reimbursed for care. Which health insurance suits you depends on your health care consumption and wishes. There is a restitution policy, naturapolis, combination policy and budget policy. Read more about the different types of health insurance here.

What exactly is covered by the basic insurance

The government determines exactly what is covered by basic insurance. Although the basic package remains fairly the same each year, there are often some changes. For example, certain coverages may go out of the basic package or new ones may be added. In principle, the costs of the general practitioner, medical specialists and many medications are covered by the basic insurance. However, for some care you still pay a personal contribution. Your health insurance policy will tell you exactly what will be reimbursed and under what conditions.

So the content and conditions of the basic insurance may change slightly each year. The same goes for the supplementary packages. Be aware of this and do an annual check if your health insurance still suits you. Some of the changes to the basic package will be announced on Budget Day.

Excess and basic insurance

For most care from the basic insurance, you pay a deductible. For 2024, this obligatory deductible excess has again been set at € 385. For a number of costs, such as for the midwife or general practitioner, you pay no deductible. You can also opt for a voluntary deductible excess. This means that you can increase the deductible excess, to a maximum of € 885. In exchange, you can get a discount on the premium of the basic insurance. This discount varies per insurer.

Obligation to accept basic insurance

Every health insurer has a duty of acceptance for basic insurance. This means that health insurers are required by law to accept you for basic insurance, regardless of age, gender or health. This prevents health insurers from selecting their insured. The government does not want elderly people or people with health problems, for example, to be refused by the health insurer. Incidentally, this acceptance obligation only applies to basic health insurance, not to supplementary health insurance. So there it can happen that a health insurer refuses you, charges a higher premium, imposes a waiting period of one year, or excludes you from part of the reimbursements.

Switching health insurance

Every year, many people switch health insurance. In fact, switching hasn't been difficult for a long time. Do you doubt whether you should switch? Then read here why it is interesting for you to switch.

As of Nov. 12, the premiums and content of the health care packages are known and you can switch. Read here until when you can switch health insurance.