People who work in the Netherlands, those who receive a pension there and their co-insured family members are entitled to benefits under the Health Care Insurance Act. In addition, you can also claim benefits under the WLZ (Long-Term Care Act). This law covers special medical expenses, These include:
- care in a hospital or sanatorium if the stay lasts longer than one year
- care in a nursing home
- care in an institution for the sensory impaired
You can apply for care under the WLZ in the Netherlands yourself, but it is usually done by a doctor or specialist in the Netherlands.
You can find more information, all the relevant forms and their explanations on the CIZwebsite: www.ciz.nl
After the classification of the need for care
For insured persons who live in Germany and want to receive care, the responsible health service (the Zilveren Kruis) provides information on its website. It describes which assistance measures are reimbursed. If you would like to know whether and what you are entitled to and/or what you have to pay yourself, you can contact the Zilveren Kruis.
Zilveren Kruis Groep Buitenlands Recht
Postbus 650
7300 AR APELDOORN
gbr@zilverenkruis.nl
www.zilverenkruis.nl/naarnederland
+31 33 445 68 70
Living in Germany, not insured in the Netherlands
If you live in Germany, want to claim the Dutch WLZ and are not insured or cannot claim healthcare in the Netherlands through the CAK, you will be subject to a waiting period. The waiting period depends on the time you were not insured. In principle, the waiting period is one month for each year you were not insured, up to a maximum of 12 months. If you are compulsorily insured with a health insurance company in Germany, no waiting period applies to you, but you must first move to the Netherlands.
Municipal benefits
The Dutch municipalities provide benefits in various ways that supplement the WLZ, e.g. taxi rides, wheelchairs. You cannot get these benefits if you live in Germany. The German regulations apply to these benefits.