You pay health insurance premiums every month, yet another bill arrives from your insurer. It mentions an eigen risico, an eigen bijdrage, or both. These Dutch terms describe different payments. Understanding them helps you check the bill and put money aside.
An eigen risico, or deductible, is an annual amount you pay towards much of the care covered by Dutch basic insurance. An eigen bijdrage, or statutory personal contribution, applies to specific care. You may still owe a contribution after using up your deductible. This article explains the Dutch rules for 2026, rather than insurance rules in other countries.
Deductible and personal contribution compared
Your premium pays for being insured. A deductible or contribution can become payable when you use care. Paying premiums therefore does not mean every treatment is fully reimbursed.
| Question | Deductible | Statutory personal contribution |
|---|---|---|
| What does it apply to? | Much of the care covered by basic insurance | Specific care, medicines and medical aids |
| Amount in 2026? | Compulsory €385; up to €500 extra voluntarily | Depends on the care |
| One annual limit? | Yes, per insured person for care subject to the deductible | No single limit for all contributions |
| Pay after using up the deductible? | No further deductible beyond your annual amount | Contributions may continue |
| Applies to children under 18? | No | Sometimes |
Contributions for municipal support fall under different arrangements. Here we discuss Dutch health insurance. The Dutch government explains the distinction and the order in which payments are calculated.
How the 2026 deductible works
The compulsory deductible is €385 per calendar year for adults in 2026. You pay the first covered costs that are subject to it, until that amount is reached. If you do not use such care, there is no deductible bill simply because the year has passed.
Suppose you have used none of your deductible and incur €150 of covered costs subject to it. You pay €150, leaving €235 of compulsory deductible for later care in that calendar year. You do not start another €385 deductible for each treatment.
The amount applies separately to each person. Two adults who both use their entire compulsory deductible pay €770 between them. One partner’s unused deductible does not reduce the other’s bill. The government’s deductible guidance also describes exemptions and payment arrangements.
GP appointments and children: important exemptions
Children under 18 have no deductible for care covered by basic insurance. That does not mean every possible treatment is insured. Uninsured care and any applicable statutory contributions still need checking.
An appointment with your GP, including the out-of-hours GP service, is also exempt. Follow-up care can be different. Laboratory blood tests, pharmacy medicines and specialist treatment may count towards your deductible, even when your GP arranged them. The exemption for the consultation does not automatically extend to everything the GP prescribes or requests.
What matters is the care provided, rather than simply who referred you. See the official explanation of GP costs. Ask your insurer how a particular test is billed if you are unsure. Do not postpone necessary care because the payment rules are unclear.
Other exemptions include district nursing, obstetric care and maternity care. Maternity care can nevertheless involve a statutory contribution. An exemption from the deductible is therefore not a promise that you will never pay anything yourself.
What a personal contribution covers
A statutory personal contribution is the part of certain insured care that the rules require you to pay. It can be a fixed amount, a percentage, or costs above a reimbursement limit. The government determines which care has a contribution.
Examples include maternity care, certain medical aids and some medicines. There is no overall €385 limit for these contributions. You may therefore receive a contribution bill even after your deductible is fully used.
For statutory medicine contributions, a separate €250 maximum per calendar year applies in 2026. This is not a ceiling on all spending on medicines. The deductible and costs of medicines outside reimbursement are separate. Nor does the medicine limit automatically cover contributions for other care. Check the current contribution rules and ask which rule applies to your bill.
Supplementary insurance may reimburse some contributions. Check its conditions and reimbursement limits. Additional insurance is not automatically cheaper overall: its premium may exceed the reimbursement you actually use.
Worked example: contribution first, deductible second
When both apply, the statutory contribution is deducted first. The remaining covered amount is then charged against any unused compulsory deductible. Any voluntary deductible comes next. The insurer pays what remains after that.
Consider a fully removable complete denture with an illustrative eligible bill of €1,200. The statutory contribution for this care is 25% in 2026. Assume you are an adult, have used none of your deductible, and have no voluntary increase or supplementary reimbursement.
| Step | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory contribution | 25% of €1,200 | €300 |
| Amount remaining | €1,200 - €300 | €900 |
| Compulsory deductible | Taken from that €900 | €385 |
| Basic insurer pays | €900 - €385 | €515 |
| You pay in total | €300 + €385 | €685 |
The €300 contribution does not use up any deductible. If your deductible had already been fully used that year, you would pay only the €300 contribution in this example, with all other conditions unchanged. This illustrates the calculation; it is not a treatment quote.
A voluntary increase means taking more risk
You can increase the compulsory deductible voluntarily by €100, €200, €300, €400 or €500 in exchange for a lower premium. With the largest increase, the combined deductible in 2026 is €885: €385 compulsory plus €500 voluntary.
That is not a limit on all healthcare spending. Contributions, uninsured care and other unreimbursed amounts can come on top. Consider whether you could pay the higher deductible when a bill arrives, rather than focusing only on the monthly discount. Our guide to health insurance costs explains the wider budget.
Check your bill and build a reserve
Open your insurer’s claims overview and check the provider, treatment, amount and remaining deductible. If it lists a personal contribution, ask which statutory rule produced it. A shortfall caused by policy conditions is not automatically a statutory contribution.
Request a breakdown into contribution, compulsory deductible, voluntary deductible and other unreimbursed costs. Keep the explanation with the bill. If paying everything at once is difficult, contact the insurer about an instalment arrangement.
Saving €385 over twelve months works out at about €32.08 a month; €885 divided by twelve is €73.75. These are savings targets, not extra premiums. A bill could arrive before you have finished saving. Allow for other costs in your emergency fund too.
A deductible and a personal contribution can apply alongside each other. Reaching the deductible limit does not remove every other healthcare payment. A clear breakdown shows what you owe and what you still need to reserve.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Consider consulting a qualified professional about your personal situation.