The Dutch government postpones the plan to reduce the health discount to 165 euros: report
The temporary Dutch government has decided to withdraw its plan to reduce the annual healthcare deductible from 385 euros to 165 euros starting in 2027, according to reports from the newspaper De Telegraaf. Insiders from the government explained that the proposal did not receive enough support in parliament following the political changes that occurred after the recent elections.
The plan was included in the coalition agreement between the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB parties, and it came at the insistence of Geert Wilders' party, which had promised in its previous election campaign to completely abolish the health discount, considering it an unfair burden on citizens. However, political and financial resistance forced the government to freeze the project.
During the cabinet meeting on Friday, members of the first Schoof government (Schoof I) – which has collapsed twice before – agreed to postpone the proposal "until further notice." According to sources, ministers expect the project to fail in parliament due to insufficient support from the major parties.
The Council of State (Raad van State) had previously issued strong criticisms of the plan, warning that it would sharply increase health insurance premiums and would not provide real assistance to low-income individuals or people with disabilities. The council also warned that this policy could exacerbate inequality in the healthcare system rather than address it.
A number of major parties, including D66, have adopted these warnings and announced their support for keeping the current deductible at 385 euros per year. In contrast, parties such as VVD, CDA, and JA21 have called for an increase in the deductible instead of a decrease to maintain the stability of the healthcare system. With VVD and CDA expected to participate in the upcoming coalition negotiations – along with the possibility of JA21 joining – the chance of reintroducing the 165 euro deductible plan seems very slim. In contrast, the GroenLinks-PvdA coalition remains among the few still calling for a reduction in healthcare costs.