brochure dutch healthcare

8/20/2019 Brochure Dutch Healthcare

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Publicaion

Minisry o Healh, Welare and Spor

Minisry o Foreign Affairs

Business address

Minisry o Healh, Welare and Spor Parnassusplein 5 | 2511 The Hague

Minisry o Foreign Affairs Bezuidenhouseweg 67 | 2594 The Hague

Posal address

Minisry o Healh, Welare and Spor PO Box 20350 | 2500 The Hague

Minisry o Foreign Affairs PO Box 20061 | 2500 The Hague

Inerne address

www.minvws.nl

www.minbuza.nl

Sepember 2009

healh

Duch

care


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Consisen, high-qualiy care or all

Seeing a docor

Obaining medicaion, medical devices and surgery

Enjoying comorable and sae maerniy care

Caring or children aged 0 - 19

Managing your menal healh

Geting healh insurance

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Conen


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digniy and respec. The healhcare sysem

is designed so ha people receive he bes

possible reamen.

Duch healhcare is no only inclusive, i is

also effecively organised. Healhcare rules

are deermined naionally by he Minisry o

Healh, Welare and Spor in consulaion

wih paien righs groups, healhcare

providers and healh insurers. The

Healhcare Auhoriy supervises he sysem

and he Healh Inspecion supervises he

healhcare providers. This makes he sysem

efficien, consisen and in line wih heneeds o sociey.

We are honoured ha you are considering

moving o he Neherlands or ha you have

already moved here. We invie you o

become a par o our sociey and o enjoy

he many hings we have o offer. As a firs

sep, his brochure can give you an overview

o he healhcare sysem and where o ge

more specific inormaion.

Consisen, high-qualiy care or all

More detailed info

www.minvws.nl/en/hemes

www.rivm.nl/en/healhanddisease

www.overheid.nl/english

www.juslanded.nl/english/

Neherlands/Healh

www.access-nl.org

TipPosbus 51, he governmen’s publicinormaion service, is a good place o

sar when you have quesions or he

governmen on anyhing rom axes

and legal issues, o consumer righs,

educaion and healhcare. Call he oll

ree number 0800-8051 weekdays

rom 08:00 o 20:00.

This brochure is or people who work or or

are considering working or an inernaion-

al organisaion in he Neherlands. By

showing you how o ge he healhcare you

need, i will help you and your dependens

ge he mos ou o your say. I is imporan

o he Duch people ha you eel a home in

he Neherlands.

Duch healhcare is among he very bes in

he world, wih people having access o he

mos advanced reamens and prevenaive

care during all sages o heir lie. Hospials

use he laes equipmen and physicians areconinually educaed on he basis o he

laes insighs rom he scienific commu-

niy. We invie you and your dependens o

avail o hese resources.

The Duch healhcare sysem is buil on he

principle o solidariy. Healhcare is unded

by all ciizens hrough axaion o income

and mandaory healh insurance ees. As a

resul, our healhcare has become an

accessible social service ha has enriched

our sociey. The Duch enjoy one o he world’s longes average lie spans, in par

because o he healhcare hey receive.

Our healhcare expresses our value o

egaliarianism. We believe ha everyone

should receive he same ype and qualiy o

reamen, irrespecive o social saus,

gender and income. Healhcare providers

should rea people wih he same level o


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or simple denal cleaning and hygiene

insrucions. Your child may be reerred o

an orhodonis or braces. Check wih yourinsurance company which o hese services

is covered by hem.

Oher healhcareproessionals

A range o oher paramedical proessionals

is readily available in he Neherlands, and

some can be accessed wihou reerral rom

a GP. Alernaive medicine, such as

firs-come, firs-serve basis. Home visis are

reserved or urgen cases and people

incapable o visiing he GP’s office. A

consul wih a GP is generally limied o 10

minues and ends o ake place during

regular office hours. Mos GPs are par o a

nework o pracices, which provide care

during he evening, nigh or weekend.

Mos GPs speak English airly well, paricu-

larly in expa cenres like Amserdam and

The Hague. GPs may come across as blun

and direc: direcness is a Duch culural

rai ha may ake some geting used o. We

sugges you prepare or each consul by

wriing down your quesions and concerns.

HospialsI your GP canno diagnose or rea you, he

can reer you o a medical specialis. You

may have o wai or an appoinmen,

unless he mater is urgen. Specialiss end

o work a one o around 100 hospials.

While mos are general hospials, some,

such as he Juliana Children’s Hospial in

The Hague and he renowned Anonie van

Leeuwenhoek cancer hospial in

Amserdam, are specialised. There are eigh

academic hospials, which ake par ingroundbreaking research.

DenissDeniss in he Neherlands have modern

surgeries and he laes equipmen. You are

ree o choose your own denis (tandarts).

You and your dependens are encouraged o

have a check up every six monhs. The

denis can reer you o a denal hygienis

General praciioner Virually all Duch ciizens are regisered

wih a General Praciioner (GP, or in Duch

huisarts ). The GP is a rused gaekeeper o

he Duch healhcare sysem. I you have any

medical quesion or problem, go o your GP

firs. He will examine you or provide you

wih a prescripion. Alernaively, he can

reer you o a medical specialis when

needed. Your GP keeps your medical record

up o dae and confidenial. You are ree o

Seeing a docor TipsBy law, your abiliy o reurn o work

afer sickness is solely deermined by

your company’s docor (bedrijfsarts) and

no your GP.

When arriving in he Neherlands,

immediaely regiser wih a GP. GPs will

be happy o hold a ree, inroducory

meeing wih you. You may be asked o

submi your medical files, so your GP

can learn abou your medical hisory.

Privae healhcare aciliies such as

clinics exis, bu are no necessarily

beter han sae-sponsored aciliies.

They can offer shorer waiing imes,

bu are no always covered by your

insurance.

In case o a waiing l is, conac your

healh insurer. Some insurers can help

you ge reaed more quickly a

paricular hospials.

choose your own GP: check he phonebook

or he expa communiy or one close o

your home.

I you call your GP’s office o make an

appoinmen, he GP’s assisan (doktersas-

sistente), a rained proessional, will ask

quesions o deermine he urgency o your

siuaion. Mos GPs have walk-in hours in

he morning. In line wih he principle o

egaliarianism, paiens are seen on a


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men. Appoinmens are usually wihin 72

hours. Medical specialiss working in

hospials can have a waiing lis o weeks,even monhs. Appoinmens are scheduled

on he basis o objecive crieria, such as

medical need and order o applicaion.

What about nudity at the doctor’s office?

The Duch are liberal when i comes o

nudiy. I is possible you will no be offered

a screen behind which o change, or a shee

o cover yoursel wih during an examina-

ion. I you are uncomorable wih his,

e.g. because your culure or religion dicae

modesy, you can ell your docor yourconcerns and needs. Women (or men) can

always bring a chaperone o a docor’s visi.

acupuncure, homeopahy, and ayurveda, is

widely praciced in he Neherlands. To avail

o such reamens you do no need a

reerral rom a GP. Check wih your healh

insurance provider o see which reamens

are covered.

FAQs There’s a medical emergency. What do I do?

I you experience an acue emergency

– severe pain or an acciden or example –

call your GP, dial he naional emergency

number 112 or go o he neares hospial.

Ambulance saff are rained proessionals

capable o delivering firs aid.

How do I get the same treatment

I was getting back home?

You may alk o your GP abou your

condiion, he reamen you have received

or his complain back home and your

curren needs.

What are my rights as a patient?

Each physician (including GP, pharmacis

and denis) is legally bound o confidenial-

iy. He canno share inormaion abou you

wih your spouse, dependens or employer

wihou your consen. You have a legal righo see your medical files. Some GPs are no

used o being asked or hem and may be

relucan o comply, bu you should simply

insis.

How soon can the doctor/specialists see me?

Each GP has his own approach o seeing

paiens. Some offer walk-in clinic hours,

ohers require you o make an appoin-

More detailed info

www.kiesbeer.nl

htp://ec.europa.eu/inormaion_soci-

ey/aciviies/112/index_en.hm


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Anibioics are prescribed only when sricly

needed, or example i your body canno

handle an illness on is own. I is highly

unlikely you will ge anibioics or a

common cold or a sore hroa.

What about screening?

The Neherlands has good naion-wide

prevenive healh programs, e.g. breas and

cervical cancer screening. Regiser wih your

municipaliy o ge invied or obain a

reerral rom your GP. GPs can perorm a

general check-up, bu will no reer you or

elaborae lab ess or a CT scan wihou

medical necessiy.

beween hospials and are sricly enorced.

Hospials usually offer paid-or services such

as elephone and elevision.

I is possible ha you need assisive devices.

I you have undergone surgery, your

hospial will provide you wih, or example,

a ree-o-charge pacemaker or an IV drip.

The hospial can also lend you devices like

wheelchairs and nursing beds or he firs

monhs o your recovery. I you need devices

like cruches or injecion maerials or more

han six monhs, you need o obain hosehrough your insurance company.

FAQsHow can I get the medication I was on back home?

Consul wih your GP abou your condiion

and wha medicaion you were on back

home. I possible, show your medicine o

he GP. I your brand/ype o medicine is no

available in he Neherlands, your GP can

find you an appropriae alernaive.

Where can I get antibiotics?Compared o heir inernaional peers,

Duch docors are more cauious abou

prescribing anibioics because o rising

levels o microbiological resisance.

The Duch healhcare sysem provides

people wih he laes medicines and

reamens. Mos medicines require a

prescripion rom your GP afer a personal

consulaion. I is possible you will receive a

diagnosis bu no medicaion. Duch GPs

believe i is ofen bes o le an illness run is

course wihou expensive and poenially

dangerous ess and medicaion. This

wai-and-see approach keeps healhcare

coss down and is medically appropriae or

minor illnesses such as a soar hroa or a

common cold.

Prescripions are filled a a pharmacy

(apotheek), which regisers your insurance

deails, provides you wih usage insrucions

and inorms you abou possible side effecs.

Pharmacies are open during office hours,

and will have a sign saying which pharmacy

is on afer-hour duy. Over-he-couner

drugs like non-prescripion cough syrup,

viamins, pain relievers and homeopahic

medicines can be obained a a pharmacy,

bu may be cheaper a a drug sore (drogist).

A medical specialis can recommend

hospialisaion. Unless i is an emergency,

you may need o wai or an appoinmen.

Every hospial has is own way o reaing

paiens, room sizes and number o people

sharing a room. Privae rooms are rare and

reserved or hose paiens ha are seri ously

ill or resh ou o surgery. Visiing hours vary

Obaining medicaion,medical devices and surgery

TipsAsk your GP abou naion-wide

prevenaive healh programmes and

services, or example or breas cancer

and PAP smear screening.

Your GP can advise you on birh conrol

mehods and medicaion. There are

also specialised clinics or advice on

birh conrol and sexualiy. Larger

urban areas have clinics ha offer

anonymous esing or sexually

ransmited diseases.

You can obain assisive medical

devices rom in-home care shops

(thuiszorgwinkel).More detailed info

www.rivm.nl/pns_en

Where can I get assistive medical devices?

Assisive medical devices are reely available,

bu may cos you money depending on your

medical need and insurance policy. Check

wih your hospial or insurance company.

Are assistive medical devices in the

Netherlands safe?

All assisive medical devices sold in he

Neherlands have o comply wih European

produc and saey sandards called CE. Each

device should carry he CE sign.


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your midwie or physician. Noe ha

midwives are no allowed o adminiser

pain relie medicaion, so having i may

make a hospial birh necessary.

Afer birhIn he firs week afer birh, you are eligible

or care a home (kraamzorg) rom a

posnaal welare praciioner (kraamverzorg-

ster). You will have o apply or his in

advance. For several hours a day she will

help wih eeding, changing, child minding,

cooking, cleaning, ec. Four o seven days

afer a baby is born, he communiy nurse

rom he neares Baby Healh Clinic(Consultatiebureau) will visi you. A hearing

es and heel jab are also perormed during

his firs visi.

FAQs What tests can I have performed

during my pregnancy?

Four ess are available afer r eerral by a

physician or midwie: A Triple Tes ha

looks a oeal abnormaliies, a selecive

ulrasound, Chorionic Vili Sampling and

Amniocenesis. Ask your physician wheher you need hese.

Where can I register my child after birth?

Your baby mus be regisered a your local

own hall wihin hree days afer birh. Your

child will no ge he Duch naionaliy, bu

i will ge a Duch birh cerificae, or, upon

reques, an inernaional birh cerificae.

Enjoying comorableand sae maerniy care

TipsConac your insurance company o

find ou wha ype o coverage you

have or home maerniy care. Be sure

o regiser or kraamzorg as soon as

possible, preerably a he beginning o

your pregnancy.

Your midwie or your municipaliy can

sugges suiable pre and pos-naal

exercise classes.

I you regiser your baby a he

municipaliy you will receive a call o

paricipae in he naion-wide

vaccinaion programme.

Inquire wih your own embassy or

consulae on how o regiser he birh

o your newborn.

In he Neherlands, pregnancy is considered

a naural even. Home deliveries are

common and encouraged, wih some 30%

o firs babies and 65% o second babies

born a home. You can deliver in a hospial

i you wan o, bu wihou a medical need

his may lead o addiional coss. Check wih

your healhcare insurer which condiions

apply. Ane and neonaal care is o high

qualiy in he Neherlands.

During your pregnancy I you are pregnan, he firs hing o do is o

consul your GP or midwie. Eiher can reer

you or blood ess or an ulrasound. You areree o choose your own midwie, who will

mee wih you regularly hroughou your

pregnancy and monior your healh. The

midwie will assis you during childbirh, in

he hospial or a home. A gynaecologis or

obserician usually becomes involved only

i here are complicaions wih he

pregnancy, in case o muliple birhs, or i

he moher is older han 35. You can be

reerred o a gynaecologis or obserician

by your GP or you can go direcly o a nearby

hospial i here are immediae causes orconcern.

Pain medicaionUnlike in many oher counries, pain

medicaion (e.g. by means o an epidural) is

no a sandard par o child birh in he

Neherlands. Physicians, however, will

respec your righ o ask or pain relie, so

make sure you communicae your needs o

More detailed info

www.rivm.nl/pns_en


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and evens or sick and disabled children in

more han 110 hospials and care

insiuions.

FAQ How do I find a consultatiebureau or GGD?

To find a juvenile healh cenre (consultatiebu-

reau) or Public Healh Deparmen, go o

your neighbourhood’s Cenre or Youh andFamily or conac your municipaliy or GP.

youh physician working or he juvenile

healh cenre. In order o ge invied, you

will firs have o regiser yoursel and your

child wih he municipaliy in which you

reside.

Vaccinaion A ree-o-charge, governmen-run vaccina-

ion programme arges all children in he

Neherlands. I provides proecion agains

such diseases as measles, polio, eanus,

diphheria and, i you arrive rom a counry

where i is endemic, Hepaiis B.

Inoculaions are given o children a regularinervals beween 6 weeks and nine years o

age, bu your child mus be regisered wih

he municipaliy. There are vaccinaions

available ouside o his programme, or

example or roavirus and Hepaiis A, so

check wih your GP i you need hem and

how you can obain hem. Take your child’s

vaccinaion cerificae when visiing a

juvenile healhcare cenre.

Children’s hospials

There are children’s wards in all hospialsand also several special children’s hospials.

These provide aciliies o keep children

enerained or o help hem keep up wih

school during heir say in hospial. Some

children’s hospials and children’s wards

enable parens o say wih heir child

overnigh. The Ronald McDonald Children’s

Foundaion provides such aciliies in

several ciies. CliniClowns organizes shows

Children are cherished and proeced in he

Neherlands. We have invesed in a

comprehensive range o services ha give

your child he bes social and medical care

in all sages o his or her youh.

Juvenile healhcareFree-o-charge juvenile healhcare or

children rom 0 o 19 years o age is

provided by baby healh clinics and/or by

juvenile healhcare cenres, which are par

o he public healh deparmen (GGD). You

will be invied o a consul by youh

healhcare proessionals. They monior hephysical, social, and cogniive developmen

o your child – e.g. speech and hearing

developmen - and can offer advice on

issues like die and parening. Mos

appoinmens ake place beween he ages

o 0 and 4 years. A he ages o 5, 10 and 14,

your child will be examined in school by a

Caring or children aged 0 - 19

TipRegularly visi a juvenile healhcarecenre (consultatiebureau) or public

healh deparmen so ha rained

proessionals can keep rack o your

child’s developmen. This is also a

source o valuable parening inorma-

ion. I necessary, youh physicians can

reer your child o a medical specialis

or urher diagnosis and reamen.

More detailed info

www.jeugdengezin.nl

www.cjg.nl

www.rivm.nl/en/prevenionandcare/

vaccinaions


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Moving o a oreign counry is demanding

or all members o your amily. The sress o

moving and adjusing o lie in a sr ange

environmen can lead o anxiey and

loneliness. I may also bring on or i nensiy

depression, eaing disorders and addicions.

Duch healhcare proessionals ake hese

maters seriously and are rained o help

you cope wih hem.

As always, check wih your GP firs i you

have any quesions. The GP helps you assess

Managing your menal healh

he ype and urgency o your need. He may

sugges reamen wih medicines such as

ani-depressans, bu may also sugges you

consul wih a psychologis or psychiaris.

He can also reer you o he public menal

healhcare (GGZ) cenres, a child psychiary

clinic, or addicion reamen cenres. These

deal wih boh long-sanding and acue

cases.

Some menal healhcare providers, such as

PsyQ in The Hague, have a dedicaed expa

clinic. They provide specialised care or

expa aduls and children wih menal

healh issues.

FAQsI have been treated for mental health

problems in the past. Can I get the same

treatment in the Netherlands?

Yes, menal healh reamen in he

Neherlands is among he bes in he world.

Almos all psychiaric medicaions used

elsewhere can be prescribed here. Some

providers offer help in languages oher han

Duch. PsyQ employs herapiss who speak

English, French and Spanish.

TipI you, your parner or your children

suffer rom anxiey, sleeping problems,

addicion, emoional insabiliy or

oher sympoms you can call

+31 6 52568382 or mail

[email protected] o ge an

appoinmen wih an exper.

More detailed info

www.psyq.nl/programma/expas

How can I make sure my employer doesn’t

find out I am being treated for a mental

health problem?

Healhcare proessionals are sworn o

confidenialiy. Some organisaions, such as

PsyQ offer exra measures o proec your

privacy. Please ask hem or deails i you are

concerned.


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Geting healh insurance

TipI you have inernaional healhinsurance, please check i i is acceped

in he Neherlands by calling he

College or Healh Insurances a

+31 20 7978555.

Healhcare is a social righ or people who

reside in he Neherlands. A public healhinsurance scheme was inroduced as ar

back as 1941. Today, all ciizens – i ncluding

he elderly, he chronically ill and he

disabled - have access o world-class

healhcare. This comprehensive sysem is

one o he pillars o Duch sociey.

Key o he healhcare sysem is he Basic

Healh Insurance, a mandaory populaion-

wide scheme. The coverage o his sandard

package (basisverzekering) is deermined by

he governmen and includes medical careby specialiss, GPs and midwives, hospial

care, medicaion, rehabiliaion, denal

help or persons younger han 22, menal

healhcare and necessary medical help

during a holiday or business rip abroad.

Healh insurance companies have an

obligaion o accep everyone or his Basic

Healh Insurance, irrespecive o gender,

age and healh.

Healh insurance companies also offer

addiional premium plans. These may coverhings such as physioherapy, specacles,

denal care or persons 22 years and older,

and alernaive medicine. There are wo

ypes o insurance policies: an in-kind

policy, wih care providers billing direcly o

he insurance company, and a resiuion

policy, which allows you o choose your

own healhcare supplier, who will bill you

direcly, wih he insurer reimbursing youaferwards.

I you work and pay income ax in he

Neherlands, you are obliged o ake ou

healh insurance, even i you are already

insured back home. To regiser, you need a

social securiy number (burgerservicenummer

or BSN), which your employer provides. In

some cases, however, your employer – such

as your governmen or a supra-naional

organisaion – will organise and offer

corporae healhcare insurance. Check wih your employer which o hese wo scenarios

applies o you.

FAQ Where can I obtain health insurance

for me and my dependents?

Check wheher your employer offers

corporae healh insurance. I your

employer doesn’, you may check websies

like www.independer.nl or a lis o all

insurance companies and heir services.

brochure dutch healthcare

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