# Health and healthcare: GP, insurance, emergencies

URL: https://www.inburgeringklaar.nl/learn/knm/gezondheid-en-zorg
Course: KNM: Dutch society, theme by theme (https://www.inburgeringklaar.nl/learn/knm)
Level: A2 and B1
Publisher: Inburgeringklaar

> Know who to contact for which health problem and how health insurance works.

## Goals
- Explain the huisarts as the first point of contact
- Know that zorgverzekering is compulsory and what eigen risico means
- Choose between huisarts, huisartsenpost and 112
- Know the role of the apotheek and the consultatiebureau

## The huisarts: your first stop

In the Netherlands you register with a **huisarts** (GP) near your home. The huisarts is the **gatekeeper** of the healthcare system:

- For almost every health problem you **first** go to the huisarts.
- You make an **appointment** by phone or online. The **doktersassistente** (practice assistant) answers the phone and asks questions to decide how urgent it is.
- If you need a specialist or hospital, the huisarts gives you a **verwijzing** (referral). Without a referral, your insurance often does not pay for the specialist.
- The huisarts may first advise rest, paracetamol or waiting a few days. That is normal Dutch practice, not a lack of care.

## Health insurance (*zorgverzekering*)

| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Compulsory? | **Yes**, for everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands (from 18) |
| Deadline | Take out insurance within about **four months** of becoming obliged; later you can be fined and must pay back premium |
| *Basisverzekering* | Basic package, the same content at every insurer, set by the government |
| *Aanvullende verzekering* | Optional extra, e.g. for adult dental care or physiotherapy |
| Children under 18 | Insured for free through a parent's policy |
| *Eigen risico* | A yearly amount you pay yourself first for some care, from age 18 |
| *Zorgtoeslag* | Monthly allowance from the **Belastingdienst** if your income is low |

**Eigen risico** does **not** apply to visits to the huisarts. It does apply to things like hospital care, many medicines and lab tests. The amount is set by the government each year; check the current figure on rijksoverheid.nl or with your insurer.

Adult dental care is mostly **not** in the basic package. Dental care for children under 18 is largely covered.

## Medicines: the apotheek

With a **recept** (prescription) from the doctor, you get your medicines at the **apotheek** (pharmacy). Simple medicines such as paracetamol you can buy without a prescription at a drugstore (*drogist*). At night and at weekends there is a duty pharmacy (*dienstapotheek*).

## Evenings, nights and weekends

| How urgent? | What to do |
|---|---|
| Not urgent, can wait | Call your huisarts during office hours |
| Urgent, cannot wait until the huisarts opens | Call the **huisartsenpost** first (do not just walk in) |
| Life in danger (unconscious, severe bleeding, heart attack, serious accident) | **112** |
| Mental health crisis | Huisarts or huisartsenpost; in acute danger 112 |

Going directly to the emergency room (*spoedeisende hulp*) without a referral or ambulance is usually not the right step and may cost you money.

## Pregnancy and young children

- During pregnancy you usually go to a **verloskundige** (midwife), not to a gynaecologist, unless there are risks. Many births take place in hospital, but home births are also possible.
- After birth, a **kraamverzorgende** (maternity nurse) helps at home for the first days.
- The **consultatiebureau** (part of the youth healthcare, often via the GGD/JGZ) checks your baby's growth and development and gives the vaccinations of the national vaccination programme. It is free. Vaccination is not compulsory, but strongly advised.

## Other care

- **Tandarts** (dentist): register yourself; go twice a year for a check-up.
- **GGD**: public health service: vaccinations, infectious diseases, youth healthcare.
- **Wmo** support (help at home, aids) for people who need it: via the **gemeente**.

## Exam logic

Ill → huisarts first, by appointment. Urgent at night → huisartsenpost. Danger to life → 112. Medicines → apotheek. Baby → consultatiebureau.

## Useful Dutch
- **de huisarts**: the GP / family doctor
- **de doktersassistente**: the GP's practice assistant
- **de verwijzing**: the referral
- **het recept**: the prescription
- **de apotheek**: the pharmacy
- **de huisartsenpost**: the out-of-hours GP service
- **de zorgverzekering**: health insurance
- **het eigen risico**: the yearly deductible
- **de zorgtoeslag**: healthcare allowance
- **de verloskundige**: the midwife
- **het consultatiebureau**: the baby and toddler clinic
- **spoed**: urgency, emergency

## Worked example: A child with a high fever on Saturday night

*Het is zaterdagavond. Het zoontje van Aisha heeft hoge koorts en hij drinkt bijna niets. Aisha maakt zich zorgen. De huisarts is gesloten.*

**Wie belt Aisha?**

A. De huisartsenpost
B. De apotheek
C. Het consultatiebureau

**Who?** A parent with a sick child. **What?** It is urgent (high fever, not drinking), but not clearly life-threatening. **When?** Saturday evening: the huisarts is closed. The out-of-hours service for urgent problems is the **huisartsenpost**, and you call first. So **A** is correct. B is wrong: the pharmacy gives medicines, it does not examine patients. C is wrong: the consultatiebureau does check-ups and vaccinations during office hours, not urgent care. If the child became unconscious or had serious trouble breathing, Aisha would call **112**.

## Common mistakes
- Going straight to the hospital or a specialist without first contacting the huisarts.
- Thinking health insurance is optional; it is compulsory and you can be fined.
- Believing eigen risico applies to GP visits; it does not.
- Calling 112 for problems that are urgent but not life-threatening, instead of the huisartsenpost.

## Check yourself
1. Johan heeft al twee weken pijn in zijn knie. Hij wil naar een specialist in het ziekenhuis. Wat moet Johan eerst doen?
   A) Hij gaat direct naar het ziekenhuis.
   B) Hij belt 112.
   C) Hij maakt een afspraak bij de huisarts.
   Answer: C. The huisarts is the first stop. If needed, the huisarts gives a referral to a specialist. 112 is only for life-threatening emergencies.
2. Mohamed woont sinds kort in Nederland. Hij moet een zorgverzekering nemen, maar hij heeft een laag inkomen. Wat kan hij aanvragen?
   A) Huurtoeslag
   B) Zorgtoeslag
   C) Kinderbijslag
   Answer: B. Zorgtoeslag helps people with a low income pay for compulsory health insurance. You apply at the Belastingdienst (Toeslagen).
3. Linda heeft een baby van twee maanden. De baby moet gewogen worden en een vaccinatie krijgen. Waar gaat Linda naartoe?
   A) Naar het consultatiebureau
   B) Naar de huisartsenpost
   C) Naar de apotheek
   Answer: A. The consultatiebureau checks the growth and development of babies and young children and gives the vaccinations from the national programme, free of charge.