Nearly 300,000 default on health insurance

A total of 298 thousand people were at least six months behind on the payment of their health insurance premium last year. This is an increase of 22 percent compared to 2012. This is according to figures released by Statistics Netherlands on Friday. End December 2014 one in 45 adults in the Netherlands was a defaulter to the Health Insurance Act. This is a slight increase when compared to 2010, when one in 53 were at least six months behind on their health insurance payments. Young people are much more likely to default than older people. Among people younger than 35 years old, one in 29 are at least six months behind on their health insurance premiums. Among people older than 65 years old, this number is one in 250. Women are less likely to default than men - one in 59 women compared to one in 37 men. Likelihood to default is also partly related to level of income. People who pay their health insurance premium have an average income of about 25 thousand euros per year. People behind on their payments have an average income of 16 thousand euros.