Healthcare

Healthcare in the Netherlands is very different from what you may be used to in your home country. We understand that getting to understand this different healthcare system can be challenging. Therefore, below you will find an explanation of how it works in the Netherlands.

How does it work?

In the Netherlands, the first and most important contact is always the general practitioner (GP). The GP decides on a referral to a specialist in the hospital. It is not possible to make an appointment or go to the hospital yourself, which may be common in your own country.

To see the GP, you must tell the assistant on the phone the reason for your visit. The assistant will ask a number of questions about your complaints. After that, the assistant will decide whether you can come in for an appointment with the GP or whether you will receive telephone advice.

Outside the opening hours of the GP and on weekends, there is a GP clinic. If you have a serious, urgent medical issue that can't wait until opening hours, you should call this "GP station. They will decide if you can come or if you have to wait. They will refer you to the hospital if necessary. Going to the hospital without a referral from a GP is not possible in the Netherlands.

Of course, in life-threatening emergencies, there are ambulances you can call. The person on the phone will ask you questions and decide if an ambulance is needed or if you should go to GP/huisartsenpost. However, if a situation is not life-threatening, you should always go to the GP or doctor's office first.

Antibiotics

In the Netherlands, GPs do not often prescribe antibiotics; they carefully assess what you exactly need. In the Netherlands, antibiotics are only available on prescription. You cannot buy them over the counter as you may be used to in your own country.

By using antibiotics too often, more and more bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, making the antibiotics ineffective. Moreover, antibiotics only work against certain bacteria, not viruses. This is why GP does not prescribe them often. And for these reasons, taking antibiotics from home with you is not recommended.

Flexible Human Services
Flexible Human Services offers you help in making appointments with the GP and with specialists in the hospital (only possible if you have been referred by the GP ). However, they must also take into account the rules of the Dutch healthcare system. It is always the decision of the GP or his/her assistant when they have time for you. Please note that there may be a long wait on the phone and also before an appointment is possible. 

In case of an emergency
In case of a life-threatening emergency, call 112. Flexible Human Services also has an out-of-hours emergency phone number; someone is available 24/7 for emergencies. They can help you with translation and with making an appointment with the doctor's office (in case of a non-life-threatening emergency).

What does healthcare cost in the Netherlands?

Health insurance

Everyone in the Netherlands is required to have basic health insurance. All basic insurance policies in the Netherlands cover the same healthcare costs. The Dutch government determines which costs are covered in this basic insurance.

With the basic insurance, you are covered for many medical expenses. Do you need to go to the GP? Or do you need to go to the hospital (by ambulance) for emergency care? Do you need medication? With health insurance* you are insured for this. Dental care and physiotherapy are not included in the basic insurance and you have to pay for them yourself.

*Sometimes you have to pay an eigen bijdrage for medicines. See the explanation about 'eigen bijdrage' below

Flexible Human Services
Flexible Human Services has made a deal with health insurer ZEM and can offer you the most beneficial basic insurance in the Netherlands!
More information about health insurance? See ZEM.nl.

Deductable excess (eigen risico) and personal contribution (eigen bijdrage)

These two terms might sound the same in Dutch, but they refer to two different aspects of health insurance and payments. We will explain the difference below.

Deductible Excess (Eigen Risico)
A health insurance company reimburses many medical expenses, but in certain situations you must pay part of the cost yourself. This part is called the eigen risico. The amount of the mandatory eigen risico is set by Dutch law at a maximum of 385 euros per year.

You do not have to pay eigen risico for appointments with the GP. These appointments are fully reimbursed by your health insurance.

Flexible Human Services
Good news for you! Flexible Human Services has an insurance that covers these costs for you if you choose ZEM's collective insurance through Flexible Human Services. This means you don't have to pay the eigen risico of 385 euros! Normally everyone in the Netherlands has to pay the eigen risico when you go to the hospital; for an accident, another emergency or for an appointment with a specialist. If you get the collective insurance of ZEM through Flexible Human services: then you do not have to pay this money.

If you opt for the collective insurance with ZEM through Flexible Human Services, you are insured from the day you sign your contract. When your contract ends, your health insurance automatically ends on the last day of your contract.

Personal contribution (Eigen Bijdrage) – Medicines
Your basic insurance does not cover all medicines. In the Netherlands, the law specifies which medicines are covered. For some medicines, you have to pay extra or pay for everything yourself. This is called an 'eigen bijdrage'.

Payment during illness

On the first day of your illness, a 'waiting day' is applied. You will not receive full payment for this day. After that, the payment for illness depends on the type of contract and the number of hours you have worked on average for the company in the weeks leading up to your illness. To receive the sick pay, you must comply with the obligations as described in Dutch law.

Company doctor

If your illness lasts longer, your employer will schedule an appointment for you with the company doctor. The company doctor is paid by the employer, but is an independent doctor. The company doctor is a special doctor in the Netherlands. He or she is the only one who can advise you and your employer about your fitness to work with your illness. This is determined in Dutch law. The company doctor does not share medical information with your employer, but only gives advice about the type of work that you can still do with your illness. For example, if you break a leg, you may not be able to do work that requires a lot of walking, but you are suitable for doing sedentary work. Both your employer and you are obliged to follow the advice of the company doctor.

Dentist & physiotherapy

Dental care and physiotherapy are not included in your health insurance and you have to pay for these yourself.

Flexible Human Services
Another advantage for you, when you are collectively insured with ZEM through Flexible Human Services: Due to the collective contract with ZEM that Flexible Human Services has for its employees, there is in some cases a reimbursement for physiotherapy and emergency dental care. However, this strongly depends on the situation and is assessed by the insurance company per individual situation.

Pregnancy in the Netherlands

The Dutch healthcare system with regard to pregnancy and prenatal check-ups often works very differently than you are used to in your own country. Read this separate article about pregnancy in the Netherlands for more information.

Psychological and psychiatric help

If you have psychological problems, your GP can refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist. However, the waiting lists for both specialists can be quite long, sometimes 6 months or longer. Moreover, it is quite difficult to go to a psychologist if you do not speak Dutch (or possibly English). There are few psychologists in the Netherlands who speak other languages (such as Polish or Romanian). However, they are scarce and the waiting lists can be even longer. In addition, the costs for psychologists are not always covered by health insurance.

Moving to a new country, starting a new job, meeting new housemates can be quite a challenge. If you are not feeling so well mentally, it may be advisable to seek treatment for your mental health problems in your own country before moving abroad. In your own country, help can be offered in your own language, while in the Netherlands it is very difficult to get the right help if you do not speak Dutch (or English).

Read the article about psychological help in the Netherlands here.

Flexible Human Services
We offer our help to all employees. We do this without any legal obligation and, more importantly, we do this for free! We understand that you feel terrible when you are sick. We understand that you may not know what to do, where to go, and that you may want our help immediately. Our priority is with the people who need it most. We do our best to help everyone as much as possible. We count on your kindness, patience, and understanding, just as you can count on ours!