Basic health insurance, which covers typical health care expenses like trips to the doctor or hospitalisation, is required for everyone living in the Netherlands. Additional insurance to cover things like dental treatments or extensive physiotherapy are optional.

The Dutch government decides what exactly is covered by the national basic insurance package each year. Due to rising healthcare costs, the price of basic insurance has risen once again, and as of January 1, 2013, several changes have been made to the content of the basic insurance package, summarised below:

› The "own risk" element (eigen risico), the portion of healthcare expenses you must pay for yourself, has risen from 220 to 350 euros.

› The maximum amount of healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) has been increased by 115 euros per person per year, mostly as an effort to compensate lower income individuals for the increase in eigen risico. The maximum household income eligible to receive zorgtoeslag has also been raised.

› Dental care prices are once again controlled by the government, after the experiment with free pricing was determined to be a failure.

› Some services, such as dietary advice and help quitting smoking, are once again covered.

› Some services, such as walking aids like canes and walkers, are no longer covered.

› Conditions for coverage have changed for several treatments, including in vitro fertilisation, hearing aids, fluoride treatments for children, and the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues.

You can find the Dutch government's official page on health insurance here, although the most up-to-date information is still only available in Dutch here.