ZVW

Zorgverzekeringswet (ZVW) is the Dutch Health Insurance Act that established a system of universal, mandatory health insurance in the Netherlands. Under the ZVW, all residents must obtain a basic health insurance package (basisverzekering) from a private insurer. Insurers compete on service and price, but must offer the same standard package, and they must accept applicants for the basic package regardless of health status.

Key features include the distinction between the basic package and optional extras. The basic package covers essential medical care such as general practitioner visits, hospital treatment, prescription medicines, and certain mental health services. It does not typically include routine dental care for adults, and long-term care is financed through separate arrangements. Residents may purchase additional, voluntary supplementary insurance (aanvullende verzekering) beyond the basic package.

Financing and regulation are overseen by the government and the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets in health care (NZa). Insurance premiums are paid to the chosen insurer, with subsidies available through the government in the form of zorgtoeslag (health care allowance) for low-income households. The system employs risk equalization to balance differences in risk profiles among insurers and to maintain fair competition.

The eigen risico, an annual deductible, applies to many basic-care costs; patients pay this amount out of pocket before the insurer covers eligible expenses. The ZVW framework, introduced in 2006 as part of a health-care reform, aimed to ensure universal access to care, promote choice and competition among insurers, and separate payment from service provision.