The upper house of parliament is expected this week to pass legislation allowing health insurance companies to get tough on people who don’t pay their insurance premiums.

The Telegraaf reports that some 250,000 people do not pay their premiums of around €100 every month.
The new rules will allow insurers to deduct the premiums directly from the defaulter’s salary or social security benefits. And, low income households will also lose their health insurance subsidies, which can mount up to €70 a month.
‘Refuseniks will have no escape,’ Michiel Geldof, spokesman for the health insurance council told the paper. Defaulters will first get three written warnings before premiums are deducted at source.