Duty to accept · basic insurance · supplementary

Can a health insurer refuse you?

Finass Verzekert does not act as an intermediary for health insurance. What we do here is explain when a health insurer may and may not refuse you, so that you know where you stand.

several insurers compared objectively
9.5 customer rating for a new policy
AFM licence 12016589
Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17

Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Kan een zorgverzekeraar u weigeren?.

The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.

Work out for yourself what it would cost.

We compare the offerings of several insurers
An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
We arrange the switch, including cancellation

Request a quote

A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.

In brief

For the basic health insurance there is a duty to accept. A health insurer has to accept everyone who is obliged to insure, whatever their age, health, use of care or claims history. There may be no medical selection and, within the same policy variant, no different premium may be charged because you are ill.

For the supplementary insurance that duty does not exist. There an insurer may ask health questions, refuse you, include an exclusion or apply a waiting period. That happens above all with more extensive dental and physiotherapy packages. A refusal for the supplementary part does not affect your right to the basic insurance.

Finass Verzekert advises on and arranges non-life insurance. Health insurance falls outside that: we do not arrange it, do not compare it and give no advice on it. Exactly what is reimbursed is set out in the policy conditions, the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) and the Zorgverzekeringswet (the Dutch Health Insurance Act).

Cover
Points to note
What to look out for
Frequently asked questions
Contact

Who does what on acceptance?

Three cards showing where our role ends and where the health insurer's begins.

No brokerage

What we do not do

We leave everything to do with health insurance to the health insurer itself.

We do not arrange health insurance
No comparison of packages
No mediation in a refusal

Your rights

What to look out for

The distinction that determines whether refusing is allowed.

Basic: duty to accept
Supplementary: no duty
Waiting period and health declaration

Non-life insurance

What we do provide

What you can come to us for.

Liability and accidents
Disability and sickness absence
Home, motoring and business

What is covered

Situation	At Finass Verzekert	With your health insurer
Acceptance for the basic insurance	No	Yes
Assessment of a supplementary insurance	No	Yes
Decisions on reimbursement	No	Yes
Handling a complaint about that decision	No	Yes
Advice on your non-life insurance	Yes	No
Disability and sickness absence cover	Yes	No

This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. The exact conditions are set out in the policy of your health insurer.

When refusal is allowed

Four situations in which the answer is not simply no.

The supplementary insurance carries no duty to accept

Here the insurer may select. A health declaration is permitted, as are refusal, an exclusion for existing complaints or a waiting period during which nothing is yet reimbursed. There are also often maximum reimbursements per year. So compare not only the premium but also the acceptance conditions of the supplementary package.

You are not obliged to insure

The basic insurance is compulsory for anyone living in the Netherlands or paying wage tax here. Anyone who does not fall under that cannot take out the insurance. That is not a refusal but the absence of insurance obligation. For a few groups, such as people with an exemption on grounds of conscientious objection, a separate arrangement applies.

Where fraud has been established

If an insurer establishes fraud, it may end the insurance and can refuse to accept the person again. Registration in a warning system operated by insurers can also follow, which has consequences with other insurers. This is the most important exception to the duty to accept for the basic insurance.

With arrears something else applies

A health insurer may not simply cancel the basic insurance for non-payment. If the arrears mount up, the person is reported to the CAK and an administrative premium applies, collected by withholding. The insurance then remains in force. The problem moves to collection, not to the cover.

What to look out for when comparing

Basic or supplementary: only on the supplementary part may an insurer select
Health declaration: usual with more extensive dental and physiotherapy packages
Waiting period: a period during which nothing is yet reimbursed, particularly for dental care
Exclusion of existing complaints: a condition can be kept outside the supplementary package
Moment for switching: you can change around the turn of the year, not simply mid-year
Complaints route: the insurer first, then the disputes body for health insurance

This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice.

How it works

You read how the system worksThis page distinguishes the basic insurance from the supplementary package.
You approach the health insurerApplication, acceptance and reimbursement run directly through the insurer.
You check the conditionsThe policy conditions and the insurance card state waiting periods and exclusions.
We handle your non-life insuranceFor liability, accidents, disability insurance (AOV) and sickness absence you can come to us.

Get in touch

9.5New policy

9.8Claims handling

Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.

View the reviews at NH1816 · all reviews on our site

Frequently asked questions

This is what people ask us most.

May a health insurer refuse me for the basic insurance?

No, apart from a few exceptions. For the basic insurance there is a duty to accept: age, health, use of care or claims history may play no part and medical selection is not permitted. Only where you are not obliged to insure, or where the insurer has established fraud, can acceptance be withheld. A high need for care is therefore never a valid ground for refusal.

And for the supplementary insurance?

There is no duty to accept there. The insurer may ask health questions and on that basis refuse you, include an exclusion or apply a waiting period. That mainly occurs with more extensive dental and physiotherapy packages. A refusal for the supplementary part changes nothing about your right to the basic insurance.

Does Finass Verzekert arrange health insurance?

No. We advise and act as an intermediary in non-life insurance only. We do not arrange health insurance and we do not compare it. On this page we only explain how the system works. For an application, a refusal or a question about reimbursement, contact the health insurer itself.

What if I disagree with a decision?

First make a complaint to your health insurer and ask for written reasons. If you cannot resolve it, you can put the matter to the disputes body for health insurance. For non-life insurance that route runs through Kifid (the financial services complaints institute). That is a different body with a different remit.

Can I switch part-way through the term?

In principle you change around the turn of the year: you cancel with effect from the end of the calendar year and then choose a new insurer. Only in special situations, for example where the conditions change during the year or a group scheme ends, does an earlier opportunity to cancel arise.

Within Financiering

Service

Something to arrange in non-life insurance?

We compare what several insurers offer for liability, accidents, incapacity for work and sickness absence.

Get in touch

Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.

About our service

Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.

You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.

This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on 15 August 2026.

The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.

Can a health insurer refuse you?

In brief

Who does what on acceptance?

What we do not do

What to look out for

What we do provide

When refusal is allowed

The supplementary insurance carries no duty to accept

You are not obliged to insure

Where fraud has been established

With arrears something else applies

What to look out for when comparing

How it works

Frequently asked questions

Read more

Within Financiering

Similar pages

Service

Something to arrange in non-life insurance?

About our service

Can a health insurer refuse you?

In brief

Who does what on acceptance?

What we do not do

What to look out for

What we do provide

When refusal is allowed

The supplementary insurance carries no duty to accept

You are not obliged to insure

Where fraud has been established

With arrears something else applies

What to look out for when comparing

How it works

Frequently asked questions

Read more

Within Financiering

Similar pages

Service

Something to arrange in non-life insurance?

About our service

Privacy Settings

Functional

Preferences

Statistics

Marketing