Scrapping healthcare deductible would increase premiums by €726 in two years
If the healthcare deductible is abolished, as several parties have said in their election programs, Netherlands residents will pay significantly more for their healthcare insurance. The cheapest basic health insurance will increase from €141 per month this year to €202 per month in 2027, a difference of €727 in just two years, according to calculations by the comparison site Overstappen.nl.
Multiple parties have plans to significantly reduce or completely scrap the healthcare deductible. For its calculations, the comparison site assumed the deductible would decrease from the current €385 per year to €165 in 2026, and to zero in 2027.
If that is the case, the monthly premium for the cheapest health insurance option would increase by €27.60 next year and by another €32.96 in 2027. That means that the Netherlands residents will spend €2,423.52 on the cheapest health insurance in 2027, compared to €1,696.80 this year. That’s €726.72 more, while healthcare users will only save €385 from the scrapped deductible.
Abolishing the healthcare deductible has been a topic of debate in every national election in recent years. Proponents see the elimination of the deductible as improving accessibility to healthcare, arguing that Dutch people avoid care out of fear of unexpected costs. Opponents point out that the deductible discourages unnecessary healthcare use, and scrapping it would increase healthcare costs and put even more pressure on already overburdened healthcare workers.
“Ultimately, the debate revolves around who pays the bill,” said Jeremy Broekman, an insurance expert at Overstappen.nl. “Eliminating the deductible increases solidarity, but also places a heavy burden on collective resources.”
At a time when healthcare costs are already increasing due to the aging population and increasingly expensive treatments, the sustainability of the healthcare system is becoming questionable, he said.
