Medicines: cap on personal contribution for medicines
If you use medicines that are subject to a personal contribution, this contribution will be capped at € 250 per year from next year.
Combined lifestyle intervention (CLI)
The combined lifestyle intervention will be covered by the basic health-care plan next year.
Remedial therapy for COPD
In 2019, the basic health-care plan will cover remedial therapy for severe COPD from the very first session up to a maximum of 70 sessions.
Not insured with us yet?
An ONVZ health-care plan gives you complete freedom of choice. If you would like to find out what ONVZ can do for you, take a look at our health-care plans for 2019 and calculate your premium.
The excess for 2019
The excess is the amount that any insured person must pay themselves before being entitled to reimbursement under the basic health-care plan. Most health-care expenses covered under the basic health-care plan are subject to the excess. In 2018, the statutory compulsory excess was € 385.
What will change?
Nothing. The excess will not change from 1 January 2019. It will continue to be € 385.
Other medical transportation
The coverage that the basic health-care plan provides for other medical transportation will be extended in 2019. Other medical transportation is transportation by car, taxi or public transport (i.e. not by ambulance) to and from a treatment location.
What will change?
If you need kidney dialysis or are receiving chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy, the coverage for other medical transportation will no longer be limited to transportation to these specific treatments, as was the case in 2018. In 2019, transportation to and from consultations, examinations and check-ups relating to your treatment will also be covered.
Specialist medical care
The period during which 2 specific specialist medical treatments are reimbursed on a provisional basis under the basic health-care plan has been extended. A few years ago, the government provisionally approved 2 treatments for inclusion in the basic health-care plan for a period of 4.5 years. The treatments in question are breast reconstruction after breast cancer using autologous fat transfer (AFT) and a new treatment for a specific form of hernia (PTED for lumbar hernia).
What will change?
For a fixed time, the above treatments will be covered by the basic health-care plan, so as to allow researchers to collect data on the effectiveness of the treatment over that period. The period for this provisional approval has now been extended. If you are one of the patients for whom one of these 2 treatment options may be effective, you can get the costs reimbursed. However, this is conditional on you entering the clinical trial.
Pharmacy: paracetamol, vitamins and minerals
Paracetamol, vitamins and minerals that are available over the counter at a pharmacy or chemist’s will no longer be reimbursed under the basic health-care plan from 2019. In 2018, paracetamol, vitamins and minerals are still reimbursed under the basic health-care plan in certain cases.
What will change?
Paracetamol, vitamins and minerals that are available over the counter at a pharmacy or chemist’s will no longer be reimbursed under the basic health-care plan from 1 January 2019. These costs will, however, still be reimbursed under the Optifit and higher supplementary health-care plans. Only registered medicines qualify for reimbursement under these supplementary plans.
Other changes
Deed of assignment
From 1 January 2019, you will no longer be able to transfer your claim to reimbursement of health-care costs to a third party using a deed of assignment (akte van cessie) without our consent, nor may you use your claim as security for your payment of this third party’s invoice. We think it is important that, when you go to a health-care provider with whom we have not made arrangements, you personally see the invoice they submit for the insured costs.
Early termination
A new reason justifying early termination of the basic health-care plan has been added: if we have viewed your medical details that were not intended for us, you are entitled to terminate the health-care plan within 6 weeks.
Personal contributions
The personal contributions you are required to make by law have also been adjusted this year.
Medicines (resale of pharmacy preparations)
The annual amendment of the list of resold pharmacy preparations.
Specialist medical rehabilitation
From 1 January 2019, you may in some cases be required to seek prior permission for interdisciplinary rehabilitation on an outpatient basis. This is rehabilitation by a team of different practitioners that does not require hospitalisation. We have made arrangements with a large number of health-care providers on the rehabilitation that we cover under the basic health-care plan. If you receive this specific health care from any of these providers, you will not need prior permission. Please check our website for a list of health-care providers with whom we have made such arrangements. If you want to go to a health-care provider that is not on this list, you will have to seek our prior permission before starting the treatment.
Medical appliances (general)
For 2018, we 'translated' our policy terms and conditions into General Rules and Regulations and Coverage. For 2019, we have also given our Medical Appliance Regulations a facelift. Your entitlements have not changed. Only the way we have worded your entitlements has changed. And as we do every year, we have also updated a number of prescription requirements and durations of use. You will find all the information you need on the Medical Appliances reimbursement page.
Medical appliances (dressings)
The Netherlands health insurers have compiled a list of all wound and compression dressings that will cease to be covered by the basic health-care plan from 1 January 2019. These are dressings that are basically considered over-the-counter materials, or dressings that are only used as part of treatment in a hospital and that should, therefore, come under hospital costs.
Nursing and other care
From 1 January 2019, you may in some cases be required to seek our prior permission for nursing and other care. We have made arrangements with a large number of health-care providers on the nursing and other care that we cover under the basic health-care plan. If you receive this specific health care from any of these providers, you will not need prior permission. Please check our website for a list of health-care providers with whom we have made such arrangements. If you want to go to a health-care provider that is not on this list, you will have to seek our prior permission.
Dental health care (dentures)
The threshold for prior permission for a dental prosthesis (dentures) will no longer be different depending on whether the prosthesis is fitted by a dentist or a prosthodontist. The threshold will now be € 650 in both cases.
Dental health care (requesting permission)
Health insurers have mutually agreed and reached an agreement with health-care providers on which kinds of dental health care to make subject to prior permission. This agreement on a national level will take effect on 1 January 2019 and you can find the details in our Coverage. In 2019, there will be changes to the coverage provided for dental surgery and permission will be required for full dental X-rays on children.
