Guide

Dutch health insurance 2027: what do you really pay? Usually more than your premium

MuntLab · 7 min read

Think you pay €160 a month? You pay more.

On top of your premium come the eigen risico (deductible), your extra cover and the bills that weren't covered. And the compulsory eigen risico goes up to €400 in 2027. If you only compare premiums, you compare the wrong number.

Below: how to find your real number, whether a higher eigen risico pays off, and what to know before 31 December.

–
days left to switch. You can cancel until 31 December. The new 2027 premiums are out by 12 November.

What does health insurance cost in 2027?

Your insurer's exact price is published by 12 November at the latest. This is already fixed:

What2027
Basic insurance premiumAbout €169 a month on average. That is the figure the government uses, €12.50 more than in 2026. Your insurer can come out higher or lower.
Mandatory eigen risico (deductible)€400 a year (2026: €385). If you use all of it, you pay at most €15 more.
Voluntary eigen risico€100 to €500 extra, up to €900 in total, in exchange for a lower premium.
Extra cover (aanvullend)Differs per insurer. Published by 19 November at the latest.
Zorgtoeslag (care allowance)Up to €140 a month for a single person, the government expects. What you get depends on your income.

With the average premium and the full eigen risico used, basic insurance alone costs about €2,428 in 2027: 12 × €169 plus €400. Extra cover and the dentist come on top.

A worked example

This is what an ordinary year can look like. The amounts are made up; the items are the ones you will find in your own statement.

WhatPer year
Basic premium, €160 a month€1,920
Extra cover, €25 a month€300
Eigen risico, after a hospital visit€385
Dentist, paid yourself€140
What care really cost€2,745

Thought: €1,920. Paid: €2,745. Over €800 more.

And the €300 of extra cover? In this example €80 came back from it. That's the kind of thing you only see when you put it side by side.

Find your own number in 5 minutes

  1. Download your transactions for the last 12 months. How to, per bank.
  2. Search for your insurer's name. The fixed monthly amounts are your premium, extra cover included.
  3. The other debits from your insurer are your eigen risico, sometimes in instalments.
  4. Search for dentist, physio, pharmacy and Infomedics. Many dentists and physiotherapists send their bills through Infomedics, so you don't always see their own name.
  5. Add it all up. That is your real number.

Where people leave money on the table

"Collective" is no longer a discount on the basic insurance.Since 2023, a collective discount on the basic insurance isn't allowed. A discount through your employer or club only applies to extra cover now. So compare the basic insurance on price and conditions.
The cheapest policy is often a budget policy.It has contracts with fewer hospitals. If you go to a provider without a contract, natura and budget policies usually pay 65 to 80%. Before you switch, check whether your hospital or specialist has a contract.
Full free choice no longer exists.Since 2025 no insurer offers a full restitutie policy. A "free choice" policy pays more, but not always everything.
You don't have to pay a big eigen risico bill at once.Ask your insurer for a payment plan. You have to request it yourself.

Comparing health insurance for 2027: three questions first

1. Did you use up your eigen risico this year?Then a higher voluntary eigen risico almost never pays off. Work it out below.
2. What did you get back from your extra cover?If you got back less than you paid, see whether a smaller package is enough.
3. What care do you expect next year?Glasses, braces, physio or a pregnancy: that decides which extra package pays off.

Raising your voluntary eigen risico in 2027: smart or not?

You can raise your eigen risico voluntarily by €100 to €500, so up to €900 in total. In return you get a premium discount. How much differs per insurer: that's known after 12 November.

A calculator, not advice. The discount is pre-filled as half the increase, as in the Consumentenbond's worked example. Fill in your insurer's real discount.

Switching health insurance for 2027: the dates

WhenWhat
By 12 November 2026All insurers publish their premiums and conditions for 2027.
By 31 December 2026Cancel your current health insurance.
By 1 February 2027Take out a new one. You are then insured from 1 January.

The compulsory eigen risico goes to €400 in 2027 (2026: €385), according to the Consumentenbond.

Switching is less work than you think

Take out a new insurance before 31 December and your new insurer cancels the old one for you. You don't have to do anything yourself. Compare from 12 November, once all premiums are out, for example with the Consumentenbond comparison tool (in Dutch).

Every year, without searching

MuntLab reads your statement on your own device. You see your health insurance next to your other fixed costs, how many days are left to switch, and a link to your insurer's cancellation page. No bank linking.

Privacy: your statement never leaves your device. Check it yourself: turn off your internet once the page has loaded. The check still works.

What do your fixed bills cost a year?

Free, no account, no bank linking. Your statement stays in your browser.

Check your own statement →

Sources, October 2026: Rijksoverheid, switching health insurer (cancelling, 1 February, switch service) and Consumentenbond, health insurance 2027 (12 November, eigen risico). Also: Rijksoverheid, collective discount, Rijksoverheid, eigen risico, Consumentenbond, natura policy and budget policy. Voluntary eigen risico and the break-even method: Consumentenbond, voluntary eigen risico. Infomedics: infomedics.nl. Premium, eigen risico and care allowance 2027: Univé, Prinsjesdag 2026 summary (source Rijksoverheid) and Rabobank, health insurance 2027 (extra cover by 19 November). The worked example uses made-up amounts. Dates and amounts can change: check those pages if in doubt.