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Health insurance premiums soar (+ how much you can save in 2023)

Photo: Depositphotos.com
Photo: Depositphotos.com

All Dutch health insurance companies have announced their premiums for 2023 so that means the window for changing your insurance plan has officially begun.

Premiums may be rising, but this year, switching to another health insurance could be even more financially rewarding, data by Zorgwijzer suggests.

About 85% of the population is insured with one of the four biggest insurance companies and their premiums have gone up by the following averages:

  • Zilveren Kruis: + € 8.27 per month
  • VGZ: + € 9.12 per month
  • CZ: + € 4.21 per month
  • Menzis: + 10.83 € per month

An overview of all new health insurance prices can be found here.

Why are premiums going up (again)?

Over the last five years, health insurance premiums have risen by around €300 per year. According to Koen Kuijper, insurance expert at Zorgwijzer, this is because healthcare sector wages are rising and society is getting older.

‘Our society is ageing, people are living longer and there is a higher demand for better quality of life. This is leading to an explosive growth in short and long-term medical costs,’ Kuijper said.

Meanwhile, healthcare worker salaries are rising. ‘And for good reason,’ Kuijpers said. ‘Wages have been lagging behind for several years. However, the flipside is a further increase in healthcare costs. In essence, insurance companies have no choice but to increase their insurance premiums.’

Low income households will be compensated for the rise through a significant increase in healthcare benefits, but middle incomes won’t be eligible.

Enormous price gap

On average, the basic health insurance (in Dutch: zorgverzekering) will cost €138.45 euro per month in 2023. But this only tells part of the story.

According to Zorgwijzer, the price gap between the cheapest and most expensive basic plan has stretched to more than €400 per year in 2023.

The cheapest plans range between €122 and €130 euro per month, while the most expensive basic plan could cost you up to €156 a month.

‘The cheapest and most expensive plan essentially cover the same, but differ significantly on policy conditions and healthcare provider selection. So don’t fixate too much on price and be aware of restrictive conditions that may apply,’ says Kuijper.

Switching could save a lot

Nevertheless, if every euro counts, switching to another insurer could save you a considerable amount of money and you could save even more, if you also take top up plans into account, for example, those that cover physiotherapy, dental care and orthodontics.

How much you can save in your situation, depends on your current plan, and which alternative plans there are which meet your specific wishes and needs.

In order to find the lowest prices and to figure out what works best for you, check out a comparison website. There are many options, but Zorgwijzer is the only broker with a fully functioning English comparison tool.

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