Most Dutch against halving the healthcare deductible to €165
Two-thirds of Netherlands residents are against the plan to halve the healthcare deductible to €165 per year due to the high increase in premiums that would cause, the Telegraaf reports based on a study by the comparison site Independer.
The healthcare deductible is currently €385 per year. This is the amount you have to pay out of your own pocket if you require hospital treatment, on top of your monthly health insurance premium. Political parties in the Netherlands have been debating the deductible for years. Opponents argue that it can lead to people avoiding healthcare because they can’t afford it. Proponents argue that it prevents unnecessary care and, thereby, keeps some pressure off already overburdened healthcare workers.
Led by the PVV, the current Cabinet decided to halve the deductible to €165 per year, effective January 2027. The Council of State warned that this would increase pressure on the healthcare system and increase premiums by €200 per year.
According to the Independer, two-thirds of Netherlands residents are against this plan. They feel the increased premiums outweigh the lower deductible. Among young people, 71 percent oppose the plan to reduce the deductible. The proposal is slightly more popular among people over 60, but 59 percent are still against it.
“The whole idea behind lowering the deductible was originally to help vulnerable groups like people with low incomes,” Bas Knopperts of the Independer told the Telegraaf. “But people with low incomes already receive healthcare benefits for this. A vulnerable group that could actually face problems is people with occupational disabilities. They currently receive an annual allowance of 220 euros, which will be eliminated if the deductible is lowered to €165.”
According to the Independer, health insurance premiums increased from an average of €00 per month for basic health insurance in 2015 to €158 this year. “If the plans go ahead, the premium could rise to around €200 per month starting in 2027. That’s double the amount in 2015. I think that’s difficult to sell to the average Dutch person.”
Now that the Schoof I Cabinet has fallen and elections are happening next month, it is unclear whether the plan to halve the healthcare deductible will go through. This will depend on the election results and which parties enter the new government.
The election programs for the PVV, GroenLinks-PvdA, and SP state that they want to abolish the deductible entirely. The CDA, VVD, and JA21 want to scrap the reduction. D66 wants to at least halve the deductible for chronically ill people and people with disabilities.
