These are the changes to health insurance cover from 2025

The government has announced the following changes to the general insurance for 2025:

• Personal contributions and maximum reimbursements
  The government is adjusting the personal contributions and maximum reimbursements.
  You can find the new rates here
  
  
• New direct debit date
  The date on which your health insurance premium is debited will change in 2025. You will receive more information about what exactly this means for you in due course.
  
  
• Exercise therapy for rheumatoid arthritis
  If you need personalised exercise therapy from a physiotherapist or exercise therapist to treat rheumatoid arthritis, the general insurance policy will reimburse the costs of this in full from 2025. You do, however, need a referral from your rheumatologist.
  Read more about this here (in Dutch)
  
  
• Explanation and advice on tests during pregnancy
  If you are pregnant and you have a consultation with your obstetrician, general practitioner or gynaecologist during which you receive more information and advice about the tests, the government will reimburse the costs of this consultation from 2025. This includes the consultation after the tests. This means the general insurance no longer covers this from 2025. You will not pay anything yourself for these consultations.
  Read more about tests during pregnancy (in Dutch)
  
  
• Geriatric rehabilitation
  Geriatric care is healthcare for vulnerable older people that helps them participate in society again. From 2025, you will also be entitled to geriatric rehabilitation, even if this was not preceded by admission to a hospital or other facility. This healthcare also no longer needs to be combined with a hospital admission. Geriatric rehabilitation requires a referral from a general practitioner, a doctor for the mentally disabled, a medical specialist, a physician assistant or a nursing specialist.
  Read more about geriatric rehabilitation (in Dutch)
  
  
• Physiotherapy or exercise therapy for COPD
  If you are receiving physiotherapy or exercise therapy to treat COPD (stage II or higher), the number of sessions you require will be reimbursed from 2025. The reimbursement based on classification (class B1, B2, C and D) will be withdrawn.
  Read more about physiotherapy or exercise therapy to treat COPD (in Dutch)
  
  
• Codeine
  From 2025, the medicine codeine will only be reimbursed for the treatment of severe, long-term diarrhoea. From then on, this medicine will no longer be reimbursed for the treatment of a dry cough, pain or acute diarrhoea.
  
  
• Fall prevention
  From 2025, it will be clearly specified which healthcare providers may provide fall prevention exercise interventions. You need a referral from your general practitioner or their practice assistant. We will carry out a fall risk assessment to determine whether the exercise programme is medically necessary.
  Read more about your reimbursements for fall prevention (in Dutch)
  
  
• Programme for children who are overweight or obese
  From 2025, children who are overweight or obese can follow a special programme focused on nutrition, eating habits and exercise. The general insurance policy covers this programme, but only if it is provided by recognised healthcare providers.
  Read more about this (in Dutch)
  
  

• Newborn care in the case of adoption
  If you have an additional insurance package that reimburses obstetric care in 2025, this will also apply to obstetric care in the case of adoption. You will be reimbursed for a maximum of three days and a maximum of three hours per day. The number of hours is indicated based on the National Indication Protocol for Obstetric Care (‘Landelijk Indicatieprotocol Kraamzorg’).
  Read more about your reimbursements for obstetric care (in Dutch)
  
  
• Personal contribution for obstetric care and outpatient childbirth without medical grounds
  For outpatient childbirth without medical grounds, you will need to pay a statutory personal contribution. Obstetric care is also subject to a statutory personal contribution. From 2025, these personal contributions are no longer covered by the ‘Basis (Collectief)’ additional insurance package.
  Read more about the personal contribution for childbirth
  
  
• Skin treatment
  Acne, camouflage therapy and facial hair removal will either no longer be reimbursed, or the coverage will be lowered, depending on your additional insurance package. In addition, receiving reimbursement for hair removal will be subject to a minimum age of 12 from 2025.
  Read the new reimbursements for each treatment and each additional insurance package from 2025 (in Dutch)
  
  
• Carer relief
  If your additional insurance package provides a reimbursement for carer relief, it is important to know that carer relief can only be used in your home. This healthcare will not be reimbursed if it is claimed for a location other than your home, such as a temporary admission or respite care.
  Read more about this (in Dutch)

At the official opening of the Dutch parliament, which is also budget day, the government announced that the break-even premium for 2025 has been calculated at €1,802. This is the amount that health insurers, according to the government, must charge policyholders to cover healthcare costs. The break-even premium is used to calculate the health insurance premium you will pay in 2025. We have summarised for you how this works. 
From break-even premium to your premium (in Dutch)