First point of contact
In the Dutch healthcare system, the General Practitioner, or GP (huisarts) is the gatekeeper to healthcare. If you need to see a specialist or go to the hospital, you will first have to visit your General Practitioner to get a referral (unless it is an emergency, of course). Only your GP can refer you to the necessary further specialists. This is to ensure that hospitals and specialists aren’t overwhelmed with patients.
An exception to this rule is dental care, where you can approach a dentist or dental clinic directly.
What a GP does
Every student should have a General Practitioner. A GP can prescribe medication, refer you for further medical attention when needed, perform minor interventions, and provide medical advice. However, these can also be done by a specialist that your GP may refer you to if needed.
They can also advise you about your overall health, such as diet, and exercise. The GP is also able to refer you to psychological care if you need help from mental health specialists.
Registering with a GP
When you move to Maastricht, you should register with a doctor in your neighbourhood as soon as possible in order to receive proper medical care and avoid burdening the hospital emergency services. Registering with a GP is not mandatory, but it’s highly recommended. It is definitely smarter to register with a GP before you need it as it is free of charge in case you ever face some unexpected medical issues. It is much more challenging to seek medical advice in the Netherlands if you are not registered with a GP.
You are free to choose any GP you like; they all have the same level of training, so you don’t need to worry about choosing a better or worse GP. But if you wish to, you can look up huisarts reviews. The websites of GPs also normally have more information on the doctors themselves, for example, if they hold some additional licences. Some GP practices allow you to register online; you’ll have to visit their website to check. You may also be able to register over the phone. Note that you can only be registered with one GP at a time.
Here are some additional tips you should consider when choosing a GP.
- Find a practice that is close to where you live
Ideally, your huisarts should be able to reach you within 15 minutes by bike in urgent cases. Some GPs will also only accept clients from the nearby neighbourhoods. Also, if you are sick, it is nice to have the GP close by. You can find a list of all the General Practitioner practices in Maastricht and their locations on our city map.
- Consider the gender of your GP
Your GP may have to conduct medical examinations on you, so you might have a preference for a particular gender.
- Additional services at the practice
Are there other healthcare providers nearby, such as a pharmacy, physiotherapist or hospital?
- Methods of scheduling an appointment
In what ways is it possible to schedule an appointment? For example, by telephone or online?
You’ll need the following documents when you register with a GP:
- a valid ID
- BSN number
- Your health insurance details
If you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) it is enough to be used as health insurance. Some GPs are not accustomed to the EHIC card and may require you to have Dutch health insurance but know that this is not necessary. However, you may have to first pay the bill yourself and then ask your EHIC provider for a reimbursement.
It’s possible that your GP asks you to attend a first consultation to get to know you and your medical history; feel free to ask them any further questions about the Dutch healthcare system. It might also be a good idea to bring medical records and information about any medication you might be taking with you.
Making an appointment with the GP
Depending on the GP practice, appointments can be scheduled either online or by phone. Check on their website to make sure! Some GPs may even make house calls if you’re too ill to visit. You can ask the GP assistant to see if this is an option. If you are acutely ill, you can usually get an appointment for the same day.
Visiting the GP
Sometimes you might be a bit unsure whether you should visit the doctor. There is an online triage tool available called “Do I need to see a doctor”. By filling in your gender, age, and symptoms, the tool will be able to tell you if you should go to the GP with your complaints. You can find the tool on the website of the GP Emergency Post hapmaastricht.nl. The questionnaire is reliable and has been created by Dutch healthcare professionals based on scientific data. You can also find more information about certain symptoms and illnesses on gpinfo.nl.
Costs of visiting the GP
If you have Dutch basic health insurance, then seeing a GP in the Netherlands is fully covered by this, and you don’t need to pay any deductible for GP consultations. Otherwise, check with your insurance provider whether you will be reimbursed if you attend any appointments with a GP. A basic appointment has a fixed price of approximately €35, if you come with a single complaint. If you have several complaints and require over 20 minutes for the consultation, then the price is approximately €70. Generally, if you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), you can pay for the appointment yourself and claim the money back from your national insurance provider afterwards.
Changing GP
At some point during your stay in the Netherlands, you may wish to change your GP, either because you’re not happy with their services, or because you may have moved accommodation so that the GP you first registered with is too far from your new home. You should first register with a new GP and deregister from your old one. When doing so, you should inform your prior GP of a few things.
You can also ask your former GP to send your medical file to the new GP. This can only be done with your consent, but is very useful, so that your new GP is up to date and well-informed about your medical history.
Deregistering from your GP
At some point you will most likely move away from Maastricht and should also deregister from your GP. You can simply do this either by calling them or some GPs even allow you to do this online. Make sure to do this when you move away from Maastricht!
