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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
4
6
10
13
14
16
18
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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14 15
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
ino-expa@psyq.nl 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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18 19
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.
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