Here’s how to avoid unaffordable health insurance

Prices are going up everywhere. Make sure you don’t get stuck with an expensive monthly health insurance premium next year by using Zorgwijzer’s online comparison tool!

Energy, food and housing have become significantly more expensive. Unfortunately, it does not end there, as Dutch health insurance companies have increased their premiums in 2023 by an average of 120 euros. The most striking premium increases for next year are, however, found within the collective insurance schemes and some of the cheaper plans; some are going up to over 200 euros per person!

Yet another premium rise

More people are getting frustrated by yet another premium rise. Where is this coming from, one might ask. Well, healthcare costs are largely determined by salaries in the healthcare sector. And because those are higher next year, the healthcare costs are likewise going up. Insurers are forced to pass this on to their customers, resulting in unaffordable bills.

Huge price gap

The good news is that not every insurer chooses to increase their premium by the same amount. There is even a 400-euro price gap between the cheapest and most expensive insurance plans in 2023. Surprisingly, both cover the same care, though there are some important differences in the policy conditions. Nevertheless, it makes perfect sense to make an online comparison and find out how much you are able to save next year.

3 proven methods to pay less

Having trouble finding a more affordable plan for your situation? Here are three of the best methods to save money on your health insurance in 2023:

1. Increase your deductible (eigen risico)
2. Pay your premium per year
3. Insure family members separately

Let’s discuss them one by one.

1. Increase your deductible

The first one is easy, but effective: increase your deductible excess to the highest amount, which is 885 euros. This saves you around 200 to 300 euros on your yearly premium. But there is a catch: if you need expensive medication, hospital treatment or chronic physiotherapy you will be charged 885 euros at once. So, only increase your deductible if you can afford to miss 885 euros in case something happens.

Good to know: the excess does not apply for the family doctor (GP), children below 18 and supplemental insurance plans.

2. Pay your premium per year

The second tactic may be less obvious to some: pay your premium all at once for the whole year. Doing so usually results in a 1 to 2 percent discount, which could mean around 30 to 80 euros worth of premium per person. The discount could be even more if you have a lot of capital, since you avoid paying a 1,4 percent wealth tax over your yearly premium, which is 1.680 euros on average.

Be aware that this method only works if you pay the total premium before the start of the new year.

3. Insure family members separately

The last and final tactic, which is often forgotten, is to make a separate comparison per family member. It is often considerably more expensive to be insured as a family, as opposed to being insured through separate companies. This is because you and your partner will likely have different wishes and needs. Therefore, it makes much more sense to make two separate online comparisons and take out the insurance policies separately.

One last tip: make sure to co-insure your child under the parent’s insurance that has the broadest coverage. Children are insured for free until they become 18.

Compare and switch

Nowadays, insurance companies distinguish themselves in more areas than just price and coverage. Hence it is worthwhile to take your time and compare health insurance packages thoroughly.

In Dutch, comparing insurances is called "zorgverzekering vergelijken", which means to compare health insurance plans. Over two million people in the Netherlands do this at the end of every year. 

Choosing a new insurance plan is easy with Zorgwijzer! They even have an English customer service that will answer any questions you may have about the Dutch healthcare system. Oh, and here’s a handy list of the cheapest plans in 2023.