Service & Contact

In order to inform you about your reimbursement for physiotherapy treatment, we first need to know whether your condition is classified as chronic or acute. Your physiotherapist can tell you this.

Physiotherapy for chronic conditions. If your condition is included on the Borst list of chronic conditions, your basic health insurance will provide cover starting with the 21st treatment onwards. The first twenty treatments will not be reimbursed, unless you have supplementary coverage for these treatments. 

Physiotherapy for acute conditions. Basic health insurance does not cover physiotherapy for an acute condition. Your supplementary insurance does cover treatment for acute conditions.

Below you find an overview of the reimbursements for physiotherapy treatment per package. The following applies to all packages: For manual physiotherapy a maximum of 9 sessions per medical indication per calendar year. Such treatments are part of the listed calendar year maximum.

Covered by basic health insurance
Reimbursement is only granted for exceptional cases.

Covered by supplementary insurance
Reimbursement is covered under most supplementary insurance coverages.

Below you find an overview of the reimbursements for spectacles and contact lenses per package.

You may also file your reimbursement claim by post. To submit a hardcopy claim, please complete the English language claim form and attach your original invoice(s). Make a copy of everything for your personal records and mail the originals to the physical address on the claim form. You will receive your reimbursement within 10 working days.

Covered by basic health insurance

Emergency treatment

Do you need emergency treatment while abroad? Always call the VGZ emergency control centre on +31 40 297 55 50 (this phone number is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day). Healthcare costs incurred in a foreign country will be reimbursed according to the rate that is applicable for similar care in The Netherlands. The cost of treatment in a foreign country may be higher than it would be in The Netherlands. In that case, you must pay the shortfall yourself, unless you have taken out supplementary insurance that covers treatment abroad and/or you have travel insurance.

Non-emergency treatment

For non-emergency treatment, the amount that you are reimbursed depends on which type of basic healthcare insurance you have. Different rates apply for VGZ Eigen Keuze than for VGZ Ruime Keuze policies.

The reimbursements listed below apply to non-emergency (scheduled) treatment:

There is a list of all contracted healthcare providers in foreign countries which you can find by using the search filter ‘buitenland’ under Zorgzoeker (in Dutch). If you need help with the Dutch text, please contact us.

Permission for non-emergency treatment

If you wish or need to be treated abroad and this treatment requires admission to hospital or another institution for one or more nights, you must obtain our permission in advance. Without prior permission, you risk not being reimbursed.

Invoices that have already been paid for non-emergency treatment in a foreign country

You can claim retroactively for healthcare invoices that you have already paid for non-emergency treatment in a foreign country. Please remember that we only accept invoices written in one of the following languages: Dutch, English, German, French or Spanish. Healthcare providers in foreign countries work according to different systems. We may request additional information from you about your treatment so that we can process your invoices.  

Covered by additional insurance

The following applies to supplementary insurance coverage from VGZ, with the exception of dental insurance:

• Supplementary cover providing up to 100% reimbursement (applying to equivalent Dutch rates) for emergency treatment during your holiday or temporary stay abroad. If the costs exceed the maximum policy coverage, you must pay the shortfall yourself.
• Transport from a foreign country (repatriation) when arranged by the VGZ emergency control center.

We make service contracts with healthcare providers for most types of treatment or we have assigned healthcare providers. If you need help finding a contracted healthcare provider, check under Zorgzoeker (in Dutch) to see which local healthcare provider has been contracted or assigned.

If you need help choosing a healthcare provider, such as a specialist or to arrange quicker treatment due to waiting times, we can assist you. Call our healthcare advisors on 088 - 131 16 11 on working days between 8.30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Your health insurance card information is necessary
Your citizen service number (Burgerservicenummer or BSN) and VGZ customer number are listed on your health insurance card which you receive with your policy. Healthcare providers need this information in order to file claims, and they may ask you for this information at the time of treatment.

Your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) status is also listed on your health insurance card. With this card designation, you are covered for essential medical assistance in most European countries. 

You can also have your health insurance card information at your fingertips using the VGZ Care app
The VGZ Care app gives you quick and easy access to your health insurance card and your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) information. This app also works outside The Netherlands, so wherever you go, the app goes with you. With this app, you can also:

• process claims quickly and easily
• check your policy coverage and remaining coverage balance
• find important telephone numbers.