People living illegally in the Netherlands are often asked to pay for hospital treatment in advance and in cash, even if they have reported to the emergency department, reports Friday’s Volkskrant.

According to the healthcare authority NZa, this practice is unlawful. It is considering an investigation into the situation.
‘You could be talking about an economic offence if you ask people to pay up front for medical care, even in cases that are non-emergency,’ NZa spokeswoman Annemarie van der Laan told the paper.
The fees charged vary from €100 at the Westeinde hospital in The Hague to €300 at Amsterdam’s VU Medical Centre, the paper says.
The estimated 150,000 to 250,000 illegal immigrants in the Netherlands have not been able to take out health insurance since the system changed in 2006.