Information in English

Everybody is required to have basic health insurance (even if you have still insurance in your homecountry). This requirement starts on the first day you register with the municipality or start working. You will need to contact a health insurer to inquire about options. The government has no role in this. You can access sites like www.zorgwijzer.nl (also available in English) to compare insurance packages.

• Are you employed in the Netherlands? If so, has your employer offered you a possibility for a group medical insurance? That usually makes it easier when it comes to finding an insurance company since they also often offer coverage at a discount.
• You have 4 months to find and sign a health insurance contract. The premium will be invoiced once the contract is agreed (retro active).
• If you don’t have health insurance on time, you may be fined.
• There are several providers of health insurance. It is up to you to make a choice for the best package that fits your needs.

Children till 18 are insured free of charge if they are insured by their caregivers (parents, guardian, fosterparent). If you are over 18, there is no free health care and there is a deductible  of about 400 euros per year. That has to be paid no matter what. If you don’t have enough income you may receive a so called subsidy (zorgtoeslag) to help paying for the premium (not for the deductible). 

There is a difference between BASIC (basisverzekering) and SUPPLEMENTAL (aanvullende zorgverzekering). Be careful to check the contents of the coverages. There are big difference in what and to what extent is covered under supplemental insurance. Basic insurance is same for everybody. You can check which medicines are covered under basic insurance here. (website in dutch, but you can just enter the medicine name and check whether it says ” vergoed” which means covered. Sometimes you will have to pay an additional charge, but that is only for non-approved medicines.

• Even though insurers are prohibited from accepting people based on medical history or condition for the basic health care, they can for supplemental healthcare.
• Once the coverage is agreed, you may be able to receive products right away (but count on about a month due to logistics)
• We recommend you get in touch with the closest Haemophilia treatment center as soon as you have moved. 

You are allowed to bring medicines for own use provided you carry a letter from your doctor indicating that you are in need of these medicines. This needs to be signed and dated by a licensed doctor or better a haemophilia treatment center. The letter should list which medicines, how much and which peripheral items you bring (needles, alcoholswabs, etc.) see also the checklist.

The NVHP collected the most important information for refugees who want to travel to the Netherlands.

• If you have no accommodation (friends, relatives) foreseen in the country, it is best to contact the local organisation before you flee. See ‘upon arrival in the Netherlands’ for more information.

• • • Let them know how many people are coming with you.
    • Let them know whether you are coming with your own car and whether you are mobile within the country.
    • Let them know if you have any mobility issues.
    • Let them know if you are bringing your treatment product with you.
    • Let them know if you can self-infuse.

• If possible, plan not to arrive in the evening or during the weekend.
• Cash could be exchanged in euros, for example at GWK Travelex.
• It is helpful to install WhatsApp. Viber is not common in the Netherlands.

Important: please make sure you have all your medical documents with you, especially if you require special care and/or medications.

Most European countries have established a centralised system to welcome and care for refugees. We strongly recommend that the first contact you establish is with these official systems, so that all the available support, such as accommodation and food, as well as the essential documentation and legal advice, is accessible to you!

Here we have collected the websites for refugees:

• Refugees find al kinds of information about their stay in the Netherlands via: www.refugeehelp.nl. The information is available in Dutch, English, French, Turkish, Arabic, Farsi, Somali, Dari, Tigrinya, Russian and Ukrainian. This website is part of Vluchtelingenwerk, the Dutch organization for refugees. 
• On the website www.nederlandvoorvluchtelingen.nl you will find the latest information about procedures.
• Via forrefugees.nl you will find information in different languages.
• The Immigration and Nuaturalization Service (IDN) from the national government has also created a webpage with information for Ukrainian refugees.

It is essential to inform receiving officials that you or your child has a bleeding disorder, so that they can take the necessary steps to support you, such as by contacting a treatment centre and national patient organisation in the respective country, as well as provide you with relevant information on the healthcare offered to refugees. Here is a phrasebook in Dutch that can be useful for this purpose.

The Netherlands is ready to receive Ukrainian refugees who flee to our country. The provision of medically necessary care to refugees form Ukrain is reimbursed. This has been decided by the Ministry of Health, Well-being and Sport. Check this website for more information. 

Asylum seekers have the right to medical care. At nearly every COA (Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers) location, GZA (Asylum Seeker Healthcare) has a healthcare centre where the asylum seeker can go for an appointment with a healthcare profession, such as the doctor’s assistant, nurse, POH-GGZ (Mental Healthcare Nurse Practitioner) or general practitioner. 

The HC locator website contains an updated list of all the European Haemophlia Centres and can help you find the nearest treatment centre to you. In the Netherlands you will find six treatment centres. 

We are the Dutch organization for people with hemophilia or an inherented bleeding disorder.

Do you have questions? Don’t hesitate to contact our organization. We will offer you further support related to your bleeding disorder and other things.