"Vrijwillig eigen risico" health insurance distribution in the Netherlands 2024
This value of 385 euros can be voluntarily increased with either 100, 200, 300, 400 or 500 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 385 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 13 percent of total GDP in the Netherlands.