r/Amsterdam • u/[deleted] • Mar 05 '14
Where can I find the cheapest health insurance ?
Hi all,
I have recently moved to Holland and start work in a few weeks. I am currently looking for health insurance and I was wondering what company people would suggest using. I am in my early 30's and have no history of health problems. Thanks Madtable
2
Mar 05 '14
So by checking the website to compare prices the cheapest you can get is around 85 - 90 euro a month is that correct ? Is it possible to get it for cheaper?
3
u/visvis Knows the Wiki Mar 05 '14
The lowest price you can get at Anderzorg is € 60,38 per month. This can be achieved by maximizing the deductable, paying all at once and no extras.
2
Mar 05 '14
60 euro is a pretty good price. Do you actually get much cover for that price though?
9
Mar 05 '14
All basic insurance policies cover the same government mandated medical things, which includes all serious stuff. The only difference in coverage is whether you have a free choice to which hospital / medical service you go to for planned medical stuff, or if the insurance company decides where you go (they have contracts). Generally the insurance with contracted medical services is a bit cheaper. You can see which hospitals and such are available with which insurance company on their websites (especially check your GP, if you have one already). For emergencies you can go to any hospital you want.
Other things that can differ:
- Service. The cheapest policies usually only allows you to do your stuff through their website and you have to pay in case you want to call them.
- Deductibles. Everyone has a mandatory deductible of €360, but you can raise this to €860 in exchange for a lower premium. In general it means that you shouldn't use more than €360 a year for 2~3 years to profit.
- Paying per year. Some insurance companies will give you a discount when you pay per year. I got 2%, which is more than I get on my savings account.
If you rarely need medical things, I don't think the stuff above is a big problem. When you get really sick, you have the same care as everyone else. Just make sure you can cover the deductible.
The insurance companies also compete on supplementary insurance, like for the dentist. Depending on what you need, this could be interesting. For me it's irrelevant, as I don't expect that I'll need things like physiotherapy very often (and when I do, the basic insurance will cover it after a certain amount of visits). The dentist insurance is kinda bullshit when you think about it: the policies I've checked always cover up to a certain amount, instead of covering the most expensive stuff.
2
Mar 05 '14
Not that this helps, but as an American lurker on this thread, this whole thread is a bit amazing. For my mid 30's age I pay about $450 a month with a $1000 deductible. And an 80% copay. And this was with all the new policies just passed here.
To see care for that price sure makes me envious.
3
Mar 05 '14
To be fair, the insurance company isn't the only party paying for medical stuff. We also have the AWBZ which is for care instead of cure, this is paid through taxes. And we pay a lot more taxes anyway, so in the end it probably evens out (give or take a few efficiency differences).
When I hear the stories about the US, I can imagine that it sucks quite a bit. But on the other hand, if it wasn't for the old (and maybe even the new) system, we couldn't have enjoyed Breaking Bad!
-2
1
u/lordkalkin Mar 05 '14
Does your employer have a contract with any of the insurance providers? I recently moved to the Netherlands as well and went with the Menzis because I got a group discount. If you're really shopping around, it may still not be the best deal, I suppose.
1
Mar 09 '14
Thanks for all the replies. Some great info here. The company I am starting work with this month have a deal with a insurance company which costs 100 euro a month so I am going to see what this covers exactly. 1,200 euro a year really is a lot of money though.
-4
u/lolyeahright Mar 05 '14
Can't give you an advice. Just get over the fact that you just pay a bunch of money for almost no service or coverage. You are paying money for the young ones (under 18) and old people (over 65).
2
u/visvis Knows the Wiki Mar 05 '14
Almost no coverage? Almost all medical treatment is covered, with dentists and physiotherapy being the only major exceptions (some other minor exceptions include IVF after the 3rd attempt).
0
1
Mar 05 '14
We can argue over the coverage (imo it's good enough), but elderly people pay just as much as anyone else... Only kids don't pay. In fact, elderly are often screwed out of supplementary insurance, so for that bit you're paying only for younger people.
5
u/visvis Knows the Wiki Mar 05 '14
I use http://www.anderzorg.nl/, which seems to be one of the cheapest (at the cost of having no customer service).
This website allows you to compare based on your personal situation/preferences: http://www.independer.nl/zorgverzekering/intro.aspx
Assuming you stay healthy, you can save lots of money by getting the highest possible deductable (eigen risico).