Health insurance, sickness allowance and nursing care

Insurance in the Netherlands

If you work in the Netherlands, you are normally insured against medical costs in the Netherlands. For health insurance (Zorgverzekering), you register with a health insurance company (Zorgverzekeraar) in the Netherlands. You pay the contribution for this health insurance (only payment in kind) yourself from your net salary. In addition, your employer pays the employer’s contribution to the Belastingdienst in accordance with the Health Insurance Act. The employer also pays the employee’s contribution to the Wlz (long-term care insurance) directly.Caution! If you have other jobs or work from home, your social security situation may differ from the above. Therefore, always discuss your situation with an expert.

Payment of contributions

From the age of 18, you pay a fixed monthly contribution to your health insurer. This contribution depends on which health insurer you are insured with and which co-payment you choose. The contribution is between about € 120 and € 150 per month. The co-payment is a minimum of € 385 and a maximum of € 885 per calendar year. Treatments and medicines (with the exception of a visit to your family doctor) are initially paid for out of your co-payment”. When the co-payment is used up, the costs will be reimbursed by your health insurer. The rules on the co-payment only apply to treatment in the Netherlands.

The contribution you pay to your Dutch health insurer depends on the insurer and the co-payment you have chosen.

You can also take out a supplementary medical expenses package with this health insurer. For this, you pay an additional contribution to your health insurer. Caution: Supplementary health insurance policies are only valid in the country in which they are taken out.

Registering with the German health insurance company

Apply to the health insurer for form S1 (formerly E106). This will enable you to register with your German health insurance company as a contractually insured person without having to pay contributions. Once you have done this, you can receive health care in Germany through your health insurance. In the Netherlands, you can get health care in the Netherlands through your health insurer. You decide in which country you want to receive healthcare.

You can also claim long-term care in both countries (Wlz in the Netherlands and Pflegeversicherung [nursing insurance] in Germany). The German long-term care benefit is an exception. You cannot claim it.

Family insurance

The health insurance company in your country of residence will check whether your partner and children can be insured with you. You can find more information about family insurance here.

Health insurance supplement

If you are insured for medical expenses in the Netherlands and have a relatively low income, you can apply for a health insurance supplement from the Belastingdienst.