Frequently asked questions about the coronavirus

Because of the coronavirus, our employees are temporarily working at home. We have taken this measure to prevent the virus from spreading further and to minimise the health risk to our employees. Especially during these times it is extra important that we stay available to help you. Although our employees work hard every day, sometimes you may have to wait a little longer than you are used to. We ask for your kind understanding.

Questions? Check our contact page.

People with the coronavirus may present with a fever and respiratory problems, like coughing, shortness of breath or pneumonia. The virus can be transmitted from person to person. It is currently assumed that 1 sick person can infect 2 other people on average. The sicker a person is, the more people they might infect.

Source: RIVM

These are the most important measures you can take to prevent the coronavirus from spreading:

• Keep, as much as possible, 1,5 meters distance from each other (also when grocery shopping)
• Stay at home if you have a runny nose or a cough, a sore throat or a fever
• Avoid contact with others (social distancing)
• Work at home as much as possible
• Wash your hands with soap regularly
• Cough and sneeze on the inside of your elbow
• Use paper handkerchiefs
• Do not shake hands

Contact investigation
If someone reports to their doctor with symptoms and the doctor thinks that the patient may have the novel coronavirus, a protocol is put into action. The doctor asks for a test. Meanwhile, the suspect patient is kept in isolation, either at home or at the hospital. If the test comes back positive, the patient remains in isolation and the Municipal Public Health Service (GGD) carries out a so-called contact investigation. All people with whom the patient has been in contact during the infectious period must monitor their health during the incubation period. If they develop symptoms of the disease, they must report this to the GGD. The whole process then starts again from the beginning.

Source: RIVM

Hospitals do everything they can to continue to provide care as you are used to. The quality of the care they provide is paramount. A number of hospitals are dealing with quarantined personnel. As a result, there is less staff available at those hospitals. In order to continue all urgent procedures, hospitals sometimes have to cancel planned care. They carefully consider the best solution for each patient. We therefore follow the policy of the hospitals. They keep us informed of current developments.

Good to know
View the 'urgency list of specialist medical care' on the website of the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) for an approximation of when you can return to the hospital for planned care.

If you have any questions, please contact the ZorgConsulent by calling 0800 022 14 50 (toll free) on weekdays from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, choose option 2.

Do you have a fever (above 38c) and respiratory complaints, such as coughing or shortness of breath? And have you been in contact with a patient with the coronavirus or have you been in China (including Hong Kong), Italy, Iran or South Korea in the past 14 days? Contact your doctor by phone.

If you have you visited one of those areas and only have a cold or a mild fever, stay at home and minimise contact with others. You could be experiencing the first symptoms of COVID-19, but it can also be a regular cold. It is not necessary to call your doctor. You should contact your doctor if your symptoms worsen and if you get a fever and respiratory complaints (coughing and shortness of breath).

Source: RIVM

Most children with the coronavirus only present with mild symptoms. They can get infected and may infect others, but they generally do not get seriously ill or stay sick for long.

Source: Dutch Association for Pediatrics (NVK)

Does your child have a (serious) chronic illness? You can find more information about the coronavirus and care-intensive children on the website of the Child and Hospital Foundation (Dutch translation only).

On mantelzorg.nl you will find the answer to the most frequently asked questions about informal care and corona. For example: is it still wise to visit the person you are caring for? What if their daytime activities suddenly stop? Can you ask the home care organisation to take over some tasks from you? What if the home care organisation asks you to take over tasks from them?

Unable to find the answer to your question? Our ZorgConsulenten are happy to help you. You can reach them on 0800 022 14 50 (free) from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm every working day, choose option 2.

Curfew and pgb-care providers
As of Saturday 23 January, a curfew will apply throughout the Netherlands until at least 4:30 a.m. on 10 February. The government indicates that pgb care providers with an own and employer's statement are allowed on the street after 9 p.m. to provide care to pgb holders. There are no separate forms for these care providers. Pgb care providers can simply use the statements on the website of the Government.

It is important to note that if the care providers do not work through an institution, the pgb holder assumes the role of employer.

If a certain area has been issued an orange or red travel advice, the Ministry of Foreign Office recommends not travelling to that area. Travelling to countries with a yellow travel advice is considered responsible, but you are still advised to be extra vigilant.

A region is issued an orange (or red) travel advice when it does not have the coronavirus sufficiently under control there, does not welcome Dutch tourists or imposes quarantine on arrival. Which country or region falls into which category can easily be found on nederlandwereldwijd.nl.

An orange or red travel advice does not affect the level or scope of the coverage of your health-care plan. This also applies to the supplementary plans Wereldfit and Superfit. However, we do advise you to follow the travel advice issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

180 days maximum
Please take into account that the maximum insured period abroad of 180 days as per our General rules and regulations always applies, even if you exceed this maximum period due to mandatory quarantine. The situation surrounding the coronavirus can change at any time. In the event of a new outbreak, countries may take strict measures, such as restricting access to certain areas and closing borders. This can go very quickly. It is up to you if you are willing to take the risk.

Zorgassistance emergency centre
Do you unexpectedly need health care or assistance abroad? Please contact our Zorgassistance emergency centre.

Even if you are not infected with the coronavirus, you sometimes have to stay in quarantine. If you have to be quarantined arboad because of the coronavirus, your health-care costs might not be fully eligible for reimbursement. This depends on your situation. Always remember to call the Zorgassistance emergency centre before you incur health-care costs abroad.

Quarantined in hospital
If you are quarantined in a hospital because you have or may have the coronavirus, the basic health-care plan reimburses your health-care costs up to a maximum of the Dutch rate. If you have Wereldfit or Superfit you are covered for the costs of urgent, necessary care that exceed the Dutch rate.

Quarantined elsewhere (because you or your travel companion is infected with the corona virus)
Do you need to be quarantined outside the hospital, e.g. in a hotel? In that case Wereldfit and Superfit sometimes reimburse the extra accomodation costs.
If you miss your flight due to illness or quarantine, Superfit and Wereldfit sometimes reimburse the extra transport costs. This only applies if you are unable to fly for medical reasons, for example because you have been hospitalized or are too ill. If you are denied boarding for safety reasons, for example because you are (presumably) infected with the corona virus, we will not reimburse any additional transport costs.

You can read more about our cover for extra transport and accommodation costs in our General rules and regulations and coverage.

Quarantined elsewhere (without you or your travel companion being infected by the corona vius)
For example, everyone in the hotel where you are staying has to be quarantined preventively because one or more of the guests in the hotel has the corona virus. In that case we will not reimburse the extra accomodation costs. We do not reimburse costs incurred as a result of missing your flight due to this type of quarantine

Early return
Do you have Wereldfit or Superfit? In some cases we will reimburse an early return. Our emergency centre will determine whether repatriation is possible. If you are (presumably) infected with the corona virus, repatriation is not possible. If you arrange transportation to return home or travel to another region yourself, we may not (fully) cover the costs of that transport.

A negative travel advice is not ground for repatriation. Please note that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will not repatriate any more travellers either. In such a situation, we advise you to contact your travel organisation. They may be able to help you.

Zorgassistance emergency centre
Do you unexpectedly need health care or assistance abroad? Please contact our Zorgassistance emergency centre.

Do you have to get yourself tested abroad on the advice of a doctor or the authorities because you are showing symptoms of the corona virus? Your expenses will be reimbursed by the basic insurance up to a maximum of the Dutch rate (€ 65). Our supplementary plans Wereldfit and Superfit also reimburse the costs that exceed the Dutch rate. If you have no complaints but want to get yourself tested for the corona virus, the test is not covered.

The coronacrisis may cause you to have less income at this time. Do you think you will have problems paying your premium or medical expenses because of this? If so, please contact our Service Center in good time. Together we will look at what is a suitable payment arrangement for you.

Anyone with symptoms that may indicate the coronavirus can get tested at the GGD. The government pays for this test. This is not covered by your basic health insurance. As of December 1, 2020, a person can also be tested if he or she has no complaints, but has been at risk of being infected.

Do you get tested at a private testing facility? Then the costs are for your own account. The government does not reimburse this. The basic insurance will not reimburse the costs either.

If you have been invited for a corona vaccination, it will be reimbursed by the government. This means that you do not have to pay any excess or personal contribution.

Do you have other questions about corona vaccination? See Vaccination information from the Dutch government.

Did your general practitioner or a GGD doctor order the test for you? Then the laboratory that evaluates your test has to send the bill to the GGD. The government pays for the test. Therefore, you should not receive an invoice for it. If you have received an invoice from ONVZ for costs related to a Covid-19 test, please contact us. We will be happy to help you find a solution to ensure that the bill for your test is paid to the right people.

Did your doctor at the hospital order the test for you? Then the test will not be charged for separately. The costs of the test are then included in the hospital invoice.

If you get yourself tested for the corona virus at your own request without having any complaints, the test is not covered. This also applies to a mandatory corona test done before being allowed into another country.