The general practitioner: the first step in care.

In the Netherlands, your general practitioner (huisarts) is your main point of contact for everything to do with your health. Whether you have a minor complaint or need advice: if you live in the Netherlands, the GP plays an essential role in your healthcare. The GP is the first person you turn to with medical questions or problems. He or she is a specialist who can treat most common complaints. 💪

If your medical situation requires it, your general practitioner can prescribe medicine or refer you to a hospital, specialist or diagnostic center. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 complaints can be treated by the general practitioner, while only 1 in 10 people needs to be referred to another healthcare provider. Sometimes a hospital or specialist can even refer you to a still more specialized healthcare provider. It is important to know that you cannot go straight to a specialist or to the hospital without a referral from your general practitioner, unless the situation is life-threatening.

Healthcare in the Netherlands: three levels of care

Healthcare in the Netherlands is divided into three different levels:

1. First-line care (primary care): The general practitioner is the main point of contact at this level, but other healthcare providers such as physiotherapists, dentists and midwives are also part of first-line care. Diagnostic tests, such as blood or urine tests, are often done in the general practice itself, or you are referred to a specialized diagnostic center.
2. Second-line care (secondary care): This level covers most hospitals, medical specialists and the related tests and treatments.
3. Third-line care (tertiary care): This concerns the specialized (often university) hospitals, for example for treatments such as oncology or complex burns.

Costs and health insurance
Curious how the costs of care in the Netherlands are covered? The coverage for these three levels of care depends on your health insurance (zorgverzekering). Make sure you are well informed about which care is and is not reimbursed.

When do you not need a referral?
There are a number of healthcare providers you can visit without a referral from your general practitioner, such as the physiotherapist, dentist and midwife. Whether the costs of this care are covered depends on your health insurance. If you have no coverage, you are responsible for the payment yourself.

If your general practitioner refers you to another healthcare provider, that provider will always report their findings back to the GP. This way your GP keeps an overview of your care, and your medical record stays up to date and confidential. You always have the right to see your record.

Why you should register with a general practitioner
It is a good idea to register with a general practitioner in your area as soon as you live in the Netherlands. Your GP is the central person in your care and helps you get access to the healthcare system when you need it.