(Basisverzekering vs aanvullende verzekering)

The Dutch healthcare system is built around two main types of insurance:

1. Basic Insurance (Basisverzekering) – Mandatory

Every person living or working in the Netherlands must have at least the basic health insurance. All insurance companies offer the same basic coverage, as required by law.

What’s covered:

Visits to your general practitioner (huisarts)
Hospital care and emergency services
Specialist treatments (e.g. cardiologist, neurologist)
Basic mental healthcare
Maternity care and midwife services
Medicines listed in the basic care package

The government decides what is included. This coverage is the same across all insurance companies — only the price and service may differ.

2. Supplementary Insurance (Aanvullende verzekering) – Optional

This is extra coverage you can add to your policy. Each insurance company offers different packages. You may choose this if you want:

Dental care for adults
Physiotherapy sessions
Glasses and contact lenses
Alternative medicine
Extra mental healthcare
More reimbursement for birth-related care

You do not need supplementary insurance to fulfill your legal obligation — but it may help avoid high out-of-pocket costs.

Choosing a Package

You can compare insurers on websites like:

Pay attention to:

Monthly price
Deductible (eigen risico)
Coverage details
Customer service (many offer English support)

Deductible (Eigen Risico)

With the basic insurance, you pay the first €385 of your yearly medical costs yourself (except for GP visits and maternity care).
You can choose to increase your deductible up to €885 in exchange for a lower monthly premium — but only do this if you expect low healthcare use.

Final Tip

Supplementary insurance is not accepted everywhere — always check which hospitals, dentists, or therapists are covered by your policy before making appointments.