Healthcare in the Netherlands

Healthcare in the Netherlands is based on 160 primary care centres, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Some of them are on hospital sites. To use hospital services most people need to be sent by a GP. The vast majority of GPs and all the pharmacies and hospitals use electronic health records.

There are about 90 hospital organisations in the Netherlands. Some of them have more than one actual physical hospital. They are mostly privately run non-profit foundations.

Everybody has to have an health insurance. There are 1400 different insurance packages. The price is not allowed to be related to health status or age. There are two kinds:

• Zorgverzekeringswet (Zvw), often called "basic insurance', covers common medical care.
• Wet langdurige zorg (Wlz) covers long-term nursing and care.

For short-term health care the cost is met 50% from employers, 45% from the insured person and 5% by the government. Children up to the age of 18 are insured for free. However, they must live in the Netherlands and be listed on the health insurance policy of a parent or guardian. The deductible, a form of personal contribution, will drop to maximum 150 euros per treatment from 2025. Although there is help with the cost from the government poorer people can often end up paying between 20-25% of their income in healthcare costs.