The faster increase in premiums means that citizens bear a greater share of total healthcare costs. According to experts, one of the reasons for this sharp increase is the freezing of the discount since 2016.

Before that time, withholdings rose sharply, putting solidarity in the healthcare system under strain. People who need a lot of care face increased costs. Low-income people in particular defer care for this reason. Thus, this lost income is transferred to healthcare premiums, which have risen sharply since 2016.

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At the same time, employers paid more than half of health care costs through the employer’s contribution in 2014, but the law stipulates that this percentage should not be more than 50%. This has since been corrected. As a result, the employer’s contribution has increased by 21% over the past seven years.

The health insurance premium may rise even more in the coming years. ABN economists believe the primary premium could reach €260 per month in 2040, based on a report from the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR). This is more than double the current amount of €126 per month. So the increase in healthcare costs is about 4.7% per year, which means that we will be spending an increasing portion of our income on healthcare premiums.

What if we can no longer afford health care? Four Telegraaf journalists discuss this in the podcast generation T.: