Starting 2026, insurers to contact patients about possible earlier hospital appointments
Starting January 2026, Dutch patients will be contacted by health insurers if hospital wait times are shorter elsewhere, potentially allowing months-earlier treatment for surgeries or consultations, according to AD.
The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) expects an agreement with insurers to be signed Monday, outlining plans to first clean up current waitlists. After that, insurers will have access to waitlist data and can proactively offer alternatives to patients when local waiting times exceed standard limits of four to ten weeks. Patients must consent to being contacted.
A Patients Federation spokesperson said many patients wait weeks or months without realizing they could be seen sooner elsewhere. “They are often not informed about it,” the spokesperson said.
Currently, treatments for heart rhythm disorders and female urinary or bladder issues face the longest waits. Diagnosis appointments for stomach, liver, or intestinal complaints can also take months.
At St. Antonius hospitals in Nieuwegein and Utrecht, waits can reach 450 days, while Antoni van Leeuwenhoek in Amsterdam can see patients within two days.
The federation emphasized that long waits harm patients and generate extra costs due to worsened health or lost work. “We want insurers to actively reach out. The patient’s interest comes first—they must be treated as soon as possible,” the spokesperson said.
Zorgverzekeraars Nederland, the insurers’ industry group, has not commented. The agreement is expected to be signed by all parties under the Supplemental Care and Welfare Accord.
