KNM 4: Gezondheid en gezondheidszorg
Health and healthcare. This theme is about using Dutch healthcare the way the system works: the huisarts first, insurance that is compulsory, and 112 only when a life is in danger.
Practice this theme
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Practice questions
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Study notes
The huisarts comes first
- The general practitioner (huisarts) and the practice nurse (praktijkondersteuner) are your first point of contact for health questions, including mental health.
- You choose your own huisarts and make an appointment, usually by phone or online. You have a right to an interpreter.
- Everything you discuss is covered by medical confidentiality: it is only shared with others with your permission.
- For a specialist, a hospital or mental health care, the huisarts refers you (doorverwijzen).
Pharmacy, dentist and maternity care
- For prescription medicine you need a prescription (recept) for the pharmacy (apotheek). Some medicines are sold without one at a drugstore (drogist).
- Regular visits to a dentist (tandarts) or dental hygienist are usual; you choose your own dentist.
- Maternity care (kraamzorg) helps at home after a birth. The consultatiebureau is the clinic for babies and young children. Know what both offer.
Urgent and emergency care
- Life in danger? Call 112, day and night.
- Urgent but not life-threatening? On weekdays during the day call your own huisarts. In the evening, at night, on weekends and on holidays, call the huisartsenpost (out-of-hours GP service).
Health insurance
- A basic health insurance (basisverzekering) is compulsory. Extra insurance (aanvullende verzekering) is voluntary.
- You may switch insurer once a year: cancel before 1 January and take out the new policy before 1 February.
- The basic package includes the huisarts, district nursing (wijkverpleging), maternity care, care for the elderly and mental health care. Dentistry and physiotherapy for children under 18 are included; adults can insure them extra.
- From 18, you pay the first part of most care yourself: the eigen risico (deductible). It does not apply to the huisarts or the huisartsenpost, and not to children. You can pay it in installments. An eigen bijdrage (own contribution) is a separate payment for some care.
- Many health matters are arranged online, often with DigiD. You can get help applying, for example from the municipality.
Help in the neighborhood
- Every municipality offers support through its desk or a neighborhood team (wijkteam): help with debts and poverty, loneliness, taking part in society, and help at home for the elderly, the chronically ill and people with a disability.
Words to know
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de huisarts | general practitioner |
| de huisartsenpost | out-of-hours GP service |
| doorverwijzen | to refer |
| het recept | prescription |
| de apotheek | pharmacy |
| de drogist | drugstore |
| de zorgverzekering | health insurance |
| het eigen risico | deductible |
| het consultatiebureau | baby and child health clinic |
| de kraamzorg | maternity home care |
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Official sources
Rules and amounts change: your letter from DUO and Mijn Inburgering always win.