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If Dutch people opted for a so-called voluntary excess or voluntary own risk within their health insurance, a large majority would go for the maximum amount of *** euros. In 2024, approximately ** percent of Dutch people who decided to increase their health insurance risk did so by *** euros. Since 2008, it is compulsory from the age of ** to pay a certain amount of money within a year before the mandatory basic health insurance of the Netherlands starts reimbursing medical costs. This fixed value is commonly referred to verplicht eigen risico (which roughly translates in English as: deductible, mandatory excess, or mandatory own risk), resets at the end of each year and the Dutch government can change the value size every year. In 2024, this value was set at *** euros. Note that some types of healthcare are exempt from this fixed value, such as visits to a GP. Additionally, children and teenagers who are 17 years and younger do not have this.

This value of *** euros can be voluntarily increased with either 100, ***, ***, *** or *** euros. By taking on this so-called vrijwillig eigen risico (in English: voluntary excess or voluntary own risk), one essentially increases the amount of money he/she needs to pay before reimbursements happen. There is a reward for this, though. In return for taking on this extra risk of potentially paying more medical costs, the monthly premium will decrease. The higher the voluntary excess, the less monthly premiums will have to be paid. This way, staying healthy and avoiding healthcare can be rewarded by having to pay less money for it. Should something happen and medical care be required, however, then there is a chance that the health insurance might not cover all costs or might not even kick in at all. Unless, of course, the *** euros plus the voluntary amount was already reached at that point.

The idea behind this complicated system is that it is meant to show people how expensive healthcare is and to make them think twice before making use of it. Consequently, it also serves the purposes of keeping health expenses in the Netherlands to a minimum. In 2022, total health expenditure made up around ** percent of total GDP in the Netherlands.