Third of NL residents avoid needed healthcare due to expense

31 percent of Netherlands residents have avoided going to a doctor or dentist because of the costs. Young people between the ages of 18 and 35 in particular skip doctor visits because they are unable or unwilling to cover the costs, according to a survey by consumer consultant Pricewise among 2 thousand respondents.

According to Pricewise, young people more often opt for the lowest premium instead of the most suitable cover. They also know relatively little about the different types of health insurance and the cover provided, scoring a 5.8 on this knowledge compared to the national average of 6.2.

"Young people have the least knowledge about health insurance and are more likely to skip care. This could indicate that young people do not know how to insure themselves and are therefore skipping care because of the costs," Suzanne Lowik of Pricewise said. "Missing care can ultimately lead to even higher costs in the subsequent year."

When people do skip care, the dentist is most often avoided. 44 percent said they've avoided a dentist or dental hygienist visit, 38 percent didn't go to physiotherapy, 26 percent did not buy medicine they needed, and 22 percent didn't get surgery.