Deductible excess

The basic healthcare insurance consists out of two types of deductible excess. The first one is the obligatory deductible excess and this one is obligatory to everyone with Dutch basic healthcare insurance. The second one is the voluntary deductible excess. You can decide for yourself if you want to apply this deductible excess. In this article, you will find more information about both types of deductible excess.

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What is an obligatory deductible excess?

The obligatory deductible excess is the part of medical treatment expenses which you have to pay yourself. Once paid, the insurance company will pay all further costs of medical treatment. Some health care treatments are exempted from the deductible excess, these costs will be always paid completely by your insurance company:

  • Appointments with the general practitioner
  • Medical care in an emergency room
  • Obstetric care
  • Maternity care
  • Population research (for example research about breast cancer)

It is important to bear in mind you only pay the amount of deductible excess once, after the (obligatory or voluntary) amount has been paid you will receive full coverage of all necessary medical care provided by your basic insurance.

The amount of the obligatory deductible excess

The amount of the obligatory deductible excess changes every year. The amount is determined by the Dutch government. In the last few years the amount exponentially increased.



What is a voluntary deductible excess?

If you want to increase your obligatory deductible excess you can opt for voluntary deductible excess. The amount of your total deductible excess influences the premium you have to pay for your basic healthcare insurance. If you choose a high voluntary deductible excess, you will pay a lower amount of premium every month.

The amount of the voluntary deductible excess

If you decide to get a voluntary deductible excess, you can choose from a number of additional amounts.

  • € 100,-
  • € 200,-
  • € 300,-
  • € 400,-
  • € 500,-

If you don´t expect to make a lot of healthcare costs, you can save up by opting for a higher voluntary deductible excess. Make sure you have a buffer in case you have to pay a high amount of medical expenses at once.

A calculation example

You receive medical treatment, which costs € 700, – and you have healthcare insurance with a voluntary deductible excess of € 200,-. This means that you will have to pay € 200,- as well as the obligatory deductible excess of €385,-. Your insurance company will pay the rest of the costs, in this case, € 115,-.