Next year health premiums are barely increasing, but you can still save money by moving to a new insurer or cutting back on supplementary insurance. This might also be a good moment to reassess your health insurance needs as well.

If I do nothing, what happens?

First of all, take a look at your current provider to find out what you will be paying next year. You can find an overview of all 65 different health insurance policy prices here, and you could save as much as €511 if you move from the most expensive to the cheapest policy.

If you do nothing, you will stay with the same provider until the next window to change over starts in mid-November 2026.

Is there really anything to win?

Yes, there is. If you are healthy and internet-adept, you might want to consider the VinkVink policy put together by Menzis, which is one of the big four health insurance companies. According to research by comparison website Zorgwijzer.nl, that policy will cost you €142.40 a month, or just under €17 below the average. In fact, there are 10 different policies coming in at below €150 a month.

And if you bank with ING, you might consider taking out the bank’s own health insurance policy for customers only, which comes in at €148.95 a month.

So how else can you cut down on the cost?

If you expect to have less than €385 in basic costs next year, or if you can miss a total sum of €885 in case something unexpected happens, it might be worth going for the maximum own-risk payment. Increasing the deductible will cut your premiums by a maximum of €22.50 a month. The cheapest deal around is UnitedConsumers Bewuste Keuze insurance, which comes in at €125.40.

Once you’ve worked out what you need, use Zorgwijzer’s comparison tool in English and compare the different elements, such as price per month, coverage and customer satisfaction.

Think too about cover while you are abroad, or back home in your country of origin, or if you would like to have the option of being treated in another country should you need a major operation. And if you are planning a winter sports holiday, check out what you are covered for as well.

Check out the choice

If you do need treatment, will you be happy with just any hospital or do you want to see a specific doctor? Or do you always want to choose your own healthcare provider? If the latter is true, pay special attention to the healthcare provider choice options included with your plan. Not all policies cover all doctors or hospitals.

If you don’t want to actively check whether a provider is within the insurer network, you may want to choose a more extensive basic policy with very broad provider choice. This is called a combinatiepolis in Dutch.

Supplementary policies

If you are planning to have a baby, you might want to opt for a policy that covers more than the standard package – more scans, for example. Zorgwijzer has a list of supplementary policies and what they offer for mums, and dads, to be.

Some 82% of the Dutch have some form of top-up policy to cover extra treatment not included in the basic package, but decide first if these are things you really need. If your teeth are in good condition, for example, dental insurance could well be a waste of money. “Check carefully if the total coverage is worth it, given the premium you will have to pay,” says Zorgwijzer health insurance expert Koen Kuijper.

Remember too that basic health insurance for under-18s is free, so be careful about offers which suggest a special deal for kids. The government decides what is covered in the basic healthcare package, and the difference between insurers is basically about how much choice you have about where to get treated. If you are concerned about the jargon, check out Zorgwijzer’s FAQs.

It’s easy to switch

Around one million people switch health insurers every year, and it is very easy to do so. If you take out new health insurance before January 1, your new insurance company will make sure your old plan is automatically cancelled and your new plan will start on January 1.

You always have a 14-day reflection period in which you can cancel your decision for free and at no cost. Check out Zorgwijzer for the best deals.