Dutch health insurance 2027: how to review your policy before the 31 December switching deadline

Every autumn, Dutch health insurance becomes news again. Insurers publish next year's premiums, and anyone who wants a different insurer or a different policy has until 31 December to act. In 2026 that season has started with an unusually large number.

On 21 October 2026, insurer DSW announced that its 2027 basic premium will rise by €14.75 a month to €173.25. DSW traditionally publishes first, and it calls this the biggest euro increase in its history. It is also more than the €12.50 a month the government pencilled in on Budget Day.

This guide starts from IamExpat's report (22 October 2026) and cross-checks it against NL Times, DutchNews, DutchReview, Expatica, ACCESS, Xpat.nl and The Hague International Centre. Figures are verified against the government (Rijksoverheid), the benefits office (Dienst Toeslagen), the tax authority (Belastingdienst), the healthcare authority (NZa) and the insurance data body Vektis. Everything was checked on 22 October 2026.

If you are still working out whether you need Dutch insurance at all, read our guide on who must take out Dutch health insurance. For the wider budget, see Prinsjesdag 2026 and the 2027 budget. This article is about one thing: if you already have a policy, what should you review for 2027?

Main sources behind this guide

• IamExpat, "DSW announces record health insurance premium rise for 2027" (22 October 2026): DSW's premium and the year-end deadlines
• Rijksoverheid, "Overstappen zorgverzekeraar": switching rules, ongoing treatment, supplementary cover
• NZa, "Kerncijfers zorgverzekeraars": number of policies, natura share, voluntary deductible choices
• Dienst Toeslagen (15 October 2026): 2027 asset limits and the timing of letters

1. What is happening: DSW's announcement and the government estimate

Start by separating what is confirmed from what is still an estimate. Premiums are set by each insurer, not by the state, so DSW's figure is one company's price.

DSW's 2027 premium

According to IamExpat, DSW's basic premium rises from €158.50 to €173.25 a month. That is €14.75 more, or about 9.3%. Over a year the premium becomes €2,079, which is €177 more than in 2026.

DSW says it is drawing €25 million from its reserves to limit the increase. Its supplementary premiums stay the same in 2027. NL Times reports that DSW usually announces in late September, but waited this year because the government's deductible plans were uncertain.

DSW's increase is €2.25 a month above the government's estimate. The 2026 annual figure for DSW is simply twelve times the monthly premium.

Because DSW froze its premium for 2026, two years of cost growth now arrive at once. The dashed bar is an estimate of the average across all insurers, not a confirmed price.

The other insurers come next

The basic insurance market has 20 insurers belonging to 10 groups, offering 58 policies in 2026 (NZa). All of them must publish 2027 premiums and conditions by 12 November. IamExpat stresses that DSW's increase does not set the price for anyone else.

DutchNews notes, however, that the content of the basic package is fixed by law, so other insurers tend to move in a similar direction. It also reports that a 9.3% rise is the largest in percentage terms since 2011, when premiums went up 10%.

2. Why the jump is so big: the 2026 freeze is unwinding

To understand 2027, it helps to know why premiums barely moved in 2026. That also tells you what to expect after 2027.

A one-off surplus froze 2026

In a release dated 22 September 2025, DSW said its 2026 premium would stay at €158.50, the same as in 2025. The reason was a large surplus in the government's Health Insurance Fund (Zorgverzekeringsfonds). In 2025, the income-related contribution brought in more money than was needed.

DSW said that without the surplus its premium would have risen by about €6 a month. The NZa also noted in May 2026 that 2026 premiums rose less than in previous years. In other words, the 2027 increase combines the growth postponed from 2026 with the growth for 2027 itself.

The reasons insurers give

DSW points to rising demand, higher wages in healthcare and cuts in government funding. DutchReview adds long mental health waiting lists, an ageing population, more cancer diagnoses and wider use of weight-loss medication.

The pattern is clear: 2027 is the year a temporary factor falls away. The government expects total healthcare spending of €118 billion in 2027, up by just over 3% (Rijksoverheid).

Where the media disagree

Reports of the same announcement differ in small details. Since the numbers feed into your own calculations, it is worth knowing which to trust.

Most differences come from rounding or from what is being averaged. When in doubt, use the insurer's own release and the government page.

3. The big picture: four levers, plus your allowance

Reviewing insurance is often reduced to "switch to a cheaper insurer." In practice there are several things you can change, some without leaving your current company.

The four levers

The government says you may switch if you do not agree with your new conditions, or stay and adjust your policy with your current insurer. Both must be done by 31 December (Rijksoverheid).

Basic cover must accept you; supplementary cover may not

Insurers cannot refuse anyone for basic insurance (basisverzekering). The premium for a given policy is the same for everyone, regardless of age or health. ACCESS notes one exception: a new insurer may refuse you if you have unpaid premiums with your current one.

Supplementary insurance is different. Insurers can refuse applicants and can impose waiting periods. The government says medical screening is rare and mostly limited to very extensive packages.

Your allowance runs separately

Healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) is paid by Dienst Toeslagen, not by your insurer. It continues automatically if you switch. In 2027, however, the asset limit falls, so it needs a separate check (section 8).

4. The calendar: from 12 November to 1 February

The review has a fixed order. Act too early and you are comparing incomplete prices; act too late and your options narrow. Here are all the dates in one place.

For most people, two dates matter: 12 November and 31 December. If you receive an allowance, add late November and 8 December.

Sign up with the new insurer by 31 December

According to the government, if you take out a new policy by 31 December, the new insurer cancels your old one for you. Insurers call this their switching service (overstapservice). You do not need to write a cancellation letter yourself.

If you cancel yourself: until 1 February

If you cancel your current policy yourself by 31 December, the government says you have until 1 February to take out a new one, with cover backdated to 1 January. IamExpat and NL Times give the date as 31 January. The difference is wording, but finishing in January removes any doubt.

ACCESS advises sending a registered letter (aangetekende brief) well in advance if your new insurer does not cancel for you.

The mid-year exception

You can normally switch basic insurance only once a year. ACCESS notes an exception: if you change jobs and move from one employer's collective scheme to another, you can switch during the year. Moving house or getting married does not, by itself, open a mid-year switch.

In short: compare from 12 November, act in December.

5. Choosing an insurer and a policy type

Now to the four levers in turn. The first two, insurer and policy type, explain most of the premium differences you will see.

Natura versus combinatie

Basic policies come in two main types. A natura (in-kind) policy pays in full when you use providers the insurer has contracted, and only partly when you do not. A combinatie (combination) policy gives you more freedom for some types of care.

The NZa counts 58 policies in 2026: 36 natura and 22 combinatie. Of all insured people, 79.0% have a natura policy and 21.0% a combination policy. Pure restitutie (reimbursement) policies, which let you go anywhere, have been counted at zero since 2025.

So most people choose the cheaper natura route. The Hague International Centre adds that mental healthcare (GGZ) and district nursing are always in-kind, even on a combination policy.

Checks before choosing natura

Before you pick a natura policy, check whether your hospital, physiotherapist and mental health provider are contracted by that insurer. Expatica gives the example of 60–80% reimbursement at non-contracted providers. You pay the rest.

The government also warns about contracts with a ceiling (zorgplafond or omzetplafond). A provider can reach its cap late in the year and stop treating that insurer's patients. This mainly affects natura policies.

Collective discounts no longer apply to basic cover

Employers, universities and associations used to offer a discount on basic premiums through collective contracts (collectiviteit). That discount was abolished on 1 January 2023 (Binnenlands Bestuur). Collective schemes still exist, but discounts can only apply to supplementary cover.

The NZa reports that 54.9% of insured people were in a collective scheme in 2026. The Hague International Centre mentions discounts "of up to 10%"; today those apply to supplementary insurance only.

Few people actually switch

Vektis found that about 1.1 million people, 6.4% of the insured, changed insurer in the 2025–2026 switching season, slightly fewer than in earlier years. People aged 18 to 44 switch most.

The NZa says many policies are barely distinguishable and that tying (koppelverkoop), where supplementary cover is only sold together with the insurer's own basic policy, is still common. When comparing, check whether you can keep supplementary cover with a different company.

6. The voluntary deductible

Raising your voluntary deductible lowers your premium. Because the mandatory deductible rises in 2027, the maximum you could pay yourself changes too.

The mandatory deductible and what it excludes

The eigen risico is the amount of basic-package care costs you pay yourself each year before insurance takes over. It is planned to go from €385 to €400 in 2027, an inflation adjustment (Rijksoverheid, "Prinsjesdag: zorg", budget of 15 September 2026). This is a budget plan that needs a change in the law, so confirm the final amount in your insurer's year-end letter. Note that Rijksoverheid's eigen risico Q&A page, last updated in August, still says €385 for 2027.

Not all care counts towards it. According to the government:

So in a year when you only see your GP, the deductible is barely touched. A referral to a specialist, however, does count.

Voluntary levels and who chooses them

On top of the mandatory amount, you can add a voluntary deductible in steps of €100, up to €500. In 2026 the maximum combined deductible was €885. In 2027 it becomes €400 + €500 = €900.

The NZa reports that about 12% of adults chose a voluntary deductible in 2026, most of them the full €500.

People choose either nothing or the maximum. Intermediate steps usually bring too small a discount to be worthwhile.

Where it stops paying off

Discounts differ per insurer. Expatica gives an example of about €300 a year (€25 a month) for the €500 option. Using that assumption, the 2027 break-even works out as follows.

Once your deductible-eligible costs pass €700 a year, the voluntary option loses money. Above €900 the loss stays at €200. If you see a specialist regularly or take prescription medicine, keeping the voluntary deductible at zero is the safer choice.

The bill does not have to be paid in one go. The government says you can agree a payment plan with your insurer. Xpat.nl warns, though, that an insurer can claim the whole amount at once after an illness or accident. Ask yourself whether you could absorb €900 in a single month.

7. Reviewing supplementary insurance

Supplementary insurance (aanvullende verzekering) is optional cover for care outside the basic package. DSW keeps its supplementary premiums flat in 2027; other insurers will reveal theirs by 12 November.

What it covers

The Hague International Centre and Expatica list adult dental care, physiotherapy, glasses and contact lenses, and alternative therapies as the main items. Adult dental care is largely excluded from basic cover. Expatica puts supplementary costs at roughly €20 to €80 a month.

According to the NZa, 80.6% of insured people had some form of supplementary cover in 2026.

Marking what you never use often shows whether you can drop to a lighter package.

Switch in the right order

The government confirms that basic and supplementary cover can be held with different insurers. A standalone supplementary policy may come with conditions such as a higher premium.

ACCESS advises keeping your current supplementary cover until the new insurer confirms acceptance in writing. Because supplementary applicants can be refused, cancelling first risks a gap.

Watch for waiting periods

The government warns that supplementary policies can include a waiting period (wachttijd). Its example: a dental crown may only be covered if it is made six months after you join. If you have treatment planned, time your switch carefully.

8. Checking your healthcare allowance

When premiums go up, check your healthcare allowance in the same session. In 2027 the maximum rises, but the asset limit falls sharply. For a broader look at benefits, see our guide to Dutch toeslagen.

Maximum amounts and income limits

According to the Belastingdienst, the 2026 allowance is at most €129 a month for a single person and €246 a month for a couple combined. It stops once assessment income (toetsingsinkomen) passes €40,857 for singles or €51,142 for couples.

The government expects to raise the single maximum to €140 a month in 2027, to offset most of the premium increase.

The 2027 couple maximum and income limits come from reporting based on budget documents (Hart van Nederland) and are not final; definitive amounts follow in November. DutchNews notes that people on the minimum wage gain about €11 a month, while those just above the allowance threshold are hit hardest.

The asset limit falls

On 15 October 2026, Dienst Toeslagen announced that the asset limit for healthcare allowance and the child budget (kindgebonden budget) falls by about €27,000. Assets are measured on 1 January 2027.

People likely to exceed the new limit will receive a letter at the end of November. They are asked to report expected assets in Mijn toeslagen preferably by 8 December, so that 2027 payments stop in time and no repayment is needed later. Savings held abroad count as assets too.

The partner definition changes

The same announcement simplifies who counts as an allowance partner from 1 January 2027. Until now, two adults sharing a home were automatically partners if a minor child of either was registered at the address. That rule disappears.

Most people affected will apply as single-person households, which usually means a higher allowance. No action is needed: the benefits office adjusts payments automatically and writes to those affected at the end of November.

9. Common pitfalls

The process is simple, but the same mistakes come up every year. These are drawn from official guidance and from what the media report each season.

Ongoing treatment and approvals

According to the government, if you switch during a course of treatment, the insurer you had when treatment started pays for it. The start is usually your first contact with the provider. Approvals for basic-package care, such as physiotherapy or patient transport, transfer to the new insurer.

10. Answers by situation

The same increase leads to different decisions depending on your circumstances. Here are the priorities for common situations.

The table below lists the priorities; section 13 works through three fictional examples.

11. How this compares with other systems

Many international residents come from countries where health insurance is either fully public or tied to an employer. Seeing the Dutch rules as different conditions, not better or worse, makes it easier to know what you have to decide.

You choose your insurer, every year

In many tax-funded systems you never pick an insurer. In employer-based systems the employer often picks for you. In the Netherlands, you choose a private insurer yourself and can change every year. The trade-off is an annual round of comparison every autumn.

Two ways of paying

Dutch residents pay a flat premium to their insurer, which is the same for everyone on a given policy, plus an income-related contribution (inkomensafhankelijke bijdrage). In 2026 employers pay 6.10% for employees, while the self-employed and some others pay 4.85% themselves, on income up to €79,409 (Belastingdienst).

A yearly cap rather than co-pays

Many systems charge a fixed co-payment or a percentage at each visit. The Dutch model is different: you pay the first €400 (in 2027) of eligible costs in a year, and after that basic-package care is covered in full. GP visits are outside the deductible altogether.

The biggest surprise for many newcomers is adult dental care. Treatment that would be publicly covered elsewhere can be fully private here without supplementary cover.

12. Steps to take in November and December

Here is the review as a sequence of tasks. If you do not receive an allowance, skip the allowance step.

In more detail:

1. Check your 2026 usage. In your insurer's app or account, see how much of this year's deductible you have used.
2. Read the new policy letter that arrives in November. Note the 2027 premium and any changes to supplementary cover.
3. Compare from 12 November. Use comparison sites such as Independer or Zorgwijzer, and insurers' own sites, comparing like with like.
4. Check contracted providers. If you want natura, confirm that your hospital, physiotherapist and mental health provider are contracted.
5. Apply for supplementary cover and wait. Keep your old supplementary policy until the new insurer accepts you.
6. Sign up for basic cover by 31 December. Let the new insurer's switching service cancel your old policy.
7. Check your allowance. If your assets are near the limit, report your expected assets in Mijn toeslagen by about 8 December.
8. In January, check your new card and app. Also watch for any final bill from your old insurer.

Always confirm the final terms in the insurer's policy conditions (polisvoorwaarden).

13. Example cases (fictional)

The following three people are fictional, used to show how the decisions differ. Amounts are approximations based on the government estimate and the assumptions above.

Case 1: A single software tester in The Hague (30s)

She has only seen her GP in recent years and used none of her 2026 deductible. Her income is above the allowance limit. A €500 voluntary deductible might save around €300 a year. If she can set aside €900 for an unexpected hospital visit, raising it is a reasonable choice.

Case 2: A couple where one partner has a chronic condition (40s)

One partner sees a specialist regularly and uses the full deductible every year. They keep the voluntary deductible at zero and compare a natura policy that contracts their hospital with their current combination policy. For supplementary cover, physiotherapy sessions matter most.

Case 3: A family with two children (30s–40s)

The children are insured free, so the review covers two adults. The question is whether to keep dental cover with one insurer for both adults or move basic cover to a cheaper insurer. If they receive allowances, they check the asset limit and the partner-definition letter in late November.

The same price rise leads to very different choices. Do not decide on premium alone.

14. What not to do

Finally, the moves that most often cost people money. Each of these comes up in coverage of almost every switching season.

15. Checklist

• I know how much of my 2026 deductible I used
• I have read my 2027 policy letter
• I compared like-for-like policies after 12 November
• If choosing natura, I checked my providers are contracted
• I weighed the voluntary deductible against next year's expected care
• I cancelled old supplementary cover only after the new insurer accepted me
• I signed up or changed my policy by 31 December
• If I receive an allowance, I checked my assets and reported by 8 December if needed

16. Summary

• DSW raises its 2027 basic premium by €14.75 to €173.25 a month; the government expects an average of about €169
• The jump is large because a one-off surplus that froze 2026 premiums has run out
• The mandatory deductible becomes €400, and the maximum including the voluntary part is €900
• You can change four things: insurer, policy type, voluntary deductible and supplementary cover
• Compare after 12 November and sign up by 31 December; if you cancel yourself, take out a new policy by 1 February
• The single healthcare allowance maximum should rise to €140 a month, but the asset limit drops by about €27,000
• In the Dutch system you choose your insurer each year, so plan for an autumn review

Sources

Expat and English-language media

• DSW announces record health insurance premium rise for 2027 — IamExpat: DSW's 2027 premium, reserves and deadlines (starting point)
• Dutch health insurer DSW announces premium freeze for next year — IamExpat: the 2026 freeze
• Prinsjesdag 2026: what's proposed, postponed and scrapped — IamExpat: the deductible plans
• Dutch health insurer DSW announces record premium increase for 2027 — NL Times: comparison with the government estimate, delayed announcement
• Health insurance could cost you €177 more next year — DutchNews.nl: largest rise since 2011, arrears, allowance increase
• Your Dutch health insurance is about to see its biggest price jump ever — DutchReview: reasons for the rise, arrears
• Getting health insurance in the Netherlands in 2026 — Expatica: voluntary deductible discount, supplementary costs, natura reimbursement
• Changing to another insurance company — ACCESS: registered letter, arrears, mid-year exception
• Health insurance in NL — Xpat.nl: lump-sum deductible claims, comparison sites
• Health insurance — The Hague International Centre: policy types, free cover for children, discounts

Official and primary sources

• Overstappen zorgverzekeraar — Rijksoverheid: 31 December and 1 February deadlines, ongoing treatment, waiting periods
• Premie zorgverzekering — Rijksoverheid: 2026 average premium of €1,884, voluntary deductible steps
• Eigen risico zorgverzekering — Rijksoverheid: care outside the deductible, payment plans
• Prinsjesdag: zorg — Rijksoverheid: 2027 premium, deductible and allowance estimates
• Kabinet zet in op gezondheid — Rijksoverheid: €118 billion care spending, €250 medicine cap
• Hoeveel zorgtoeslag — Belastingdienst: 2026 allowance amounts
• Maximaal inkomen voor zorgtoeslag — Belastingdienst: 2026 income limits
• Percentages Zvw — Belastingdienst: income-related contribution 6.10% and 4.85%
• Vermogensgrens gaat omlaag — Dienst Toeslagen: 2027 asset limits, letters, partner definition
• Kerncijfers zorgverzekeraars — NZa: policies, natura share, collective share, voluntary deductible choices
• Zorgpremie stijgt minder hard, koppelverkoop blijft bestaan — NZa: market developments and tying
• Zorgthermometer 2026 — Vektis: 6.4% switched insurer
• Press release on 2026 premium — DSW: 2026 freeze and fund surplus
• Korting op basiszorgverzekering afgeschaft — Binnenlands Bestuur: end of collective discounts on basic cover
• Zorgtoeslag 2027: bedrag en inkomensgrens — Hart van Nederland: reported 2027 couple maximum and income limits

All sources were checked on 22 October 2026. Premiums and allowance amounts change every year, so confirm the latest figures on official sites before you sign up or apply.

Original article

DSW announces record health insurance premium rise for 2027 — IamExpat