Most Dutch parties propose returning dental care to basic health coverage
Most political parties in the Tweede Kamer are calling for at least partial restoration of dental care to the basic health insurance package, according to a comparison of current election programs. According to BNR, proposals range from covering a free annual dental checkup to reimbursing all dental services.
GroenLinks-PvdA proposes reimbursing not only dental visits and physiotherapy but also children’s glasses, speech computers, and contraception within the basic package.
Volt supports “preventive and acute dental care,” while the Party for the Animals includes dental care, contraception, HIV-prevention drug PrEP, and breastfeeding support. The SP seeks full reimbursement of “all proven preventive care,” including dental checkups, smoking cessation support, and lifestyle guidance.
“The dentist comes back into the basic package because healthy teeth are not a luxury,” the PVV states in its program. FVD proposes including contraception, physiotherapy, and dental care while removing certain vaccines from coverage.
D66 and NSC favor covering at least an annual dental checkup, and the SGP mentions “dental control” without specifying a number. JA21 does not address dental care or the basic package.
Some parties, including DENK, have yet to publish final election programs. Others, such as VVD and BBB, argue for reducing standard coverage. “Less effective treatments” should be removed, and a smaller basic package may be necessary to fund defense spending, the VVD says.
Currently, care in the basic package is automatically insured for all residents and includes hospital care, GP visits, and dental care for children. Other services require supplemental insurance or out-of-pocket payment. Most treatments in the basic package are subject to the mandatory deductible.
