Dental care in the Netherlands

Dunphus

Absolute long shot I know but maybe someone here can help me out. I'm studying over in the Netherlands at the moment, have a BSN and everything but I'm only covered by the European health insurance card (E111). Looks like I need to get dental treatment which is pretty costly so I'm wondering what the story here is, citizensinformation.ie says that for the EHIC

Dental care in the Netherlands is limited to treatment for children and preventative dental care for adults.

Anyone had experience with this? What's preventative care? From what I understand it's "regular check ups" and all associated with it, but you would think that's where the money is to be made and it should cover more serious stuff no?

Dunphus

Word of advice. Go when it hurts, a lot. Say it's an emergency.

Would have saved me €600

keithclancy

600 ... Jesus

What did you get done ?

Emergency care only covers a filling thats fallen out or a chipped tooth due to injury.

Even the standard Zorgverzekering doesnt cover Dental, think its an extra 15-20 yoyos a month.

Dunphus

keithclancy wrote: »

600 ... Jesus

What did you get done ?

Emergency care only covers a filling thats fallen out or a chipped tooth due to injury.

Even the standard Zorgverzekering doesnt cover Dental, think its an extra 15-20 yoyos a month.

I actually only went for a consultation, need a root canal and a filling and was quoted close to 700e. I said I wasn't going to have the treatment, I was going to find out how much it would cost back home and I was told; "if it starts to hurt, we won't let you make a future appointment with us if you cancel these appointments." Couldn't believe it, well sorry for shopping around!

Rang the HSE back home and they said as long as it hurts a lot, and you can't sleep or study then it's an emergency and that fillings and root canals should be covered. Of course I didn't go when I was in agony over the weekend because I reckoned it would cost a fortune for out of hours on top of everything, wanted to see how I was fixed with insurance first. My mistake! The Dutch dentist told me that they won't treat it as an emergency for god knows what reason, I suppose that I had made an appointment and didn't come crawling and screaming in the front door out of business hours.

Called into the local zorgverzekering today as well, to see if they could tell me how I was fixed. They told me the EHIC card wasn't sufficient for insurance to live in the Netherlands, did some more checking and turns out it's fine, just as my university told me in the first place.

Some of the Dutch lads I study with were saying they're covered for anything less than 500e or something, so they're covered for affordable treatments, but once it goes over 500e the insurance company won't foot the bill. The exact opposite to what would make sense! A few of my international student mates have some horror stories with dentists here, they reckon it's because the dentists just want them in and out and to get as much money out of them as possible while they're studying here seeing as they won't be long term patients. Ah I don't know!

It has been a stressful day to say the least!

keithclancy

Dunphus wrote: »

I actually only went for a consultation, need a root canal and a filling and was quoted close to 700e. I said I wasn't going to have the treatment, I was going to find out how much it would cost back home and I was told; "if it starts to hurt, we won't let you make a future appointment with us if you cancel these appointments." Couldn't believe it, well sorry for shopping around!

Rang the HSE back home and they said as long as it hurts a lot, and you can't sleep or study then it's an emergency and that fillings and root canals should be covered. Of course I didn't go when I was in agony over the weekend because I reckoned it would cost a fortune for out of hours on top of everything, wanted to see how I was fixed with insurance first. My mistake! The Dutch dentist told me that they won't treat it as an emergency for god knows what reason, I suppose that I had made an appointment and didn't come crawling and screaming in the front door out of business hours.

Called into the local zorgverzekering today as well, to see if they could tell me how I was fixed. They told me the EHIC card wasn't sufficient for insurance to live in the Netherlands, did some more checking and turns out it's fine, just as my university told me in the first place.

Some of the Dutch lads I study with were saying they're covered for anything less than 500e or something, so they're covered for affordable treatments, but once it goes over 500e the insurance company won't foot the bill. The exact opposite to what would make sense! A few of my international student mates have some horror stories with dentists here, they reckon it's because the dentists just want them in and out and to get as much money out of them as possible while they're studying here seeing as they won't be long term patients. Ah I don't know!

It has been a stressful day to say the least!

Aww man, thats all wrong.

You should have told then Dentist you would call them to confirm if you would make an appointment, quite normal to shop around, however they get pi$sed off if you make an appointment and then cancel.

What the HSE Told you is wrong, theres a list as to whats considered 'Emergency' I work over the border in Germany and was initially on a Dutch EHIC card, but basically it only covers damage to your teeth, anything like a root canal is never covered.

Your EHIC card is suitable as long as you do not work.
If you work (Even Part time) then you need Dutch Health insurance.

If you don't register for Dutch Health Insurance and you work, then you'll eventually get a letter from the CVZ and they'll make you back pay the whole lot.

What the Dutch lads told you is wrong as well The policies i've looked at always have an excess, e.g. you pay the first 270 euros and then the rest is covered.

I've never heard of Insurance where the first 500 is covered and then you pay the rest It would make no sense to have the Dental then.

Dunphus

keithclancy wrote: »

Aww man, thats all wrong.

You should have told then Dentist you would call them to confirm if you would make an appointment, quite normal to shop around, however they get pi$sed off if you make an appointment and then cancel.

What the HSE Told you is wrong, theres a list as to whats considered 'Emergency' I work over the border in Germany and was initially on a Dutch EHIC card, but basically it only covers damage to your teeth, anything like a root canal is never covered.

Your EHIC card is suitable as long as you do not work.
If you work (Even Part time) then you need Dutch Health insurance.

If you don't register for Dutch Health Insurance and you work, then you'll eventually get a letter from the CVZ and they'll make you back pay the whole lot.

What the Dutch lads told you is wrong as well The policies i've looked at always have an excess, e.g. you pay the first 270 euros and then the rest is covered.

I've never heard of Insurance where the first 500 is covered and then you pay the rest It would make no sense to have the Dental then.

Yeah, the Dutch lads didn't seem to really know what they're talking about, I guess they've just never had to worry about these things.

Ah well, I guess I'll just try and hang on until I'm finished my course and then get it sorted. Going to get on to some dentists back home now that I have a list of things that need to be done from the Dutch dentist

The health system over here can be a bit confusing, as good as it supposedly is.

Cheers for clearing that up though, can be a bit of a head wrecker being an international student over here. Irish government don't help at all, and I'm not a Dutch citizen so get no help there either!

keithclancy

http://europa.eu/europedirect/index_en.htm

00 800 67 89 10 11
– from anywhere in the EU
– 9.00-18.00 CET (weekdays)
– in any official EU language.

And if you have some sort of Dispute with a government office or inter governmental stuff try Solvit:

http://ec.europa.eu/solvit/

Rick_ano

Hi,
I am new here, hope you don't mind if you elaborate on one matter:

If you don't register for Dutch Health Insurance and you work, then you'll eventually get a letter from the CVZ and they'll make you back pay the whole lot.

Can you please explain what do you mean by that? Will you have to pay for Dutch health insurance retroactively for the months you've worked?

Thanks

keithclancy

Rick_ano wrote: »

Hi,
I am new here, hope you don't mind if you elaborate on one matter:


Can you please explain what do you mean by that? Will you have to pay for Dutch health insurance retroactively for the months you've worked?

Thanks

Yes,

You'll get a back dated bill from your Health Insurance from the first day you started working.

http://cvz.nl/en/insurance/zvw/zvw.html

In all situations the initiation date of health insurance is always determined retrospectively.

Rick_ano

Thanks!