When my inbox pings in mid-November each year, I know that it will be my least-fun email of the year. It’s a jolt that pulls me out of my early winter coziness and right back into the world of rising costs and financial reality. That’s because this email tells me how much I have to pay for Dutch health insurance in the coming year.
This dread grows when you start digging into why healthcare costs keep creeping up — and how the Netherlands stacks up against the rest of Europe (Spoiler alert: it’s not good). Healthcare costs rose by 8 percent in 2024 and out-of-pocket payments by patients increased by 7.5 percent, according to the latest data by Statistics Netherlands CBS. Some of the factors included higher wages for healthcare workers, increased spending on medicines due to rising drug prices, a shift to more expensive drugs and an aging population that requires more care.
And how does the Netherlands match up to other European countries? Dutch healthcare spending is one of the highest in the European Union, based on numbers released in May 2025.
But how is this decided?
Knowing this, I was not optimistic about my 2026 premium. However, while premiums are going up (of course), your wallet probably won’t notice unless your life circumstances are changing. By way of background, in the Netherlands, each resident is required to have health insurance, and the government determines what care is included in a basic health insurance plan.
Enter Prinsjesdag. This is the annual Dutch Budget Day, held every September. This day is more than just a golden carriage and speeches; it’s also about announcing policy changes, including to healthcare.
Back in September, we got a sneak preview of expected health insurance premiums and an outline of planned changes to the basic insurance package, including deductible adjustments, coverage tweaks and system-wide reforms. From here, the insurance providers take these directives and finalize their official premiums by mid-November. Then, voilà, you get an email saying how much more you’ll pay this coming year. Fun, fun.
This year, the government announced higher monthly premiums for basic health insurance, announced at 159 euros per month in 2026 compared to 156 euros in 2025, but this change was far less than last year, when I saw my health insurance go up by almost three times that number.
Is anything else different? For most people, not much. The minimum and maximum deductibles will remain the same next year, at 385 euros and 885 euros. The healthcare allowance remains unchanged next year for low-income earners.
The email finally came. The price change for 2026 was right in line with the government projections.
Three euros more a month or 36 euros per year seems pretty reasonable compared to the inflation we’ve seen in the last few years at the grocery store. Especially when it’s something essential like your health. And then I was curious about how much my health insurance has risen in the last ten years, so I did some digging.
Compared to 2017, I will pay over 900 euros more for my health coverage in 2026. Wow, now that’s something that my wallet feels!
This increase comes from a decade of changing policies and inflation. The Netherlands has no age-based pricing, but my increasing costs reflect changing life circumstances. Why is this? Because it’s ultimately up to each person to tweak their insurance package to something that fits them.
When I first came to the Netherlands, I was much younger, healthier and very price-conscious, so I chose a cheaper “budget” health insurance policy. I decided I would travel to different hospitals (if needed) if it meant I could save some money in the here and now. Turns out, I never needed that coverage, so it was a smart choice for me.
When I was pregnant, I bumped up my policy to include some extra modules above and beyond the basic package. I wanted the convenience and access to hospitals nearby.
So what do you need to do before the end of the year?
Before the holiday rush, get everything in order so you aren’t scrambling on 31 December. I consider this my “least festive task” of the holiday season, but it’s gotta be done.
The one consolation with this annual task is knowing that I’m better off in Europe than in the U.S., despite the rising prices. As a freelancer in the U.S., I’d be screwed by high private premiums and sky-high deductibles.
Check out this helpful post to guide you through the process to arrange your healthcare for next year.
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Read more about the Netherlands here in Dispatches archives.
Lane Henry is an accidental long-term expat. She is an American who came to the Netherlands for two years—or so she thought. She has now lived in the Netherlands and explored Europe for over a decade.
