The Dutch Healthcare System consists in a dual system as laid down in the Dutch Health Insurance Act (Zorgverzekeringswet):

• For all regular (short-term) medical treatment, there is a system of compulsory health insurance, with private health insurance companies. These insurance companies are obliged to provide a package with a defined set of insured treatments. In return the insurance companies stipulate the qualifications health professionals need to have in order to get their services reimbursed.This means that if you are living in the Netherlands or you are paying income-tax in the Netherlands you are obliged to purchase a health insurance at a Dutch insurance company.
  See also Compulsory health Insurance
• This type of healthcare is referred to as ‘primary healthcare’ (eerstelijns zorg) and consists of services carers such as GPs, dentists, short-term psychological help and physcical therapy.                                                                  
• All healthcare requiring more than a short-term treatment is categorised as secundary healthcare, (tweedelijnszorg).  Access to this type of care is only through GPs, company doctors and child protection/youth workers. You need to be referred by one of these health care professionals as they are the gatekeepers to the secundary healthcare. There are strict rules and entry conditions for access to this category of healthcare.
  Click here for a complete explanation of the Dutch Healthcare System

Psychological help and Health insurance

Requirements
If you wish to work as psychologist in the Netherlands and you wish your healthcare to be reimbursed by insurance companies, you need to meet certain criteria. According to the Dutch Health Insurance Act private health insurance companies stipulate the requirements a psychologist must satisfy to qualify for reimbursement.

Primary Healthcare
In general, insurance companies request that psychologists working in First level healthcare be registered with the BIG-register and/or be qualified as a:

1- Health Care Psychologist (GZ-psycholoog) or a
2- NIP registered General Psychologist in Primary Healthcare (Eerstelijnspsycholoog NIP) or a
3- NIP registered Child- and Youth Psychologist (Kinder en Jeugdpsycholoog NIP).

Second level healthcare
For compensation of healthcare costs in secondary level healthcare, psychologists must have the qualification  'Psychotherapeut BIG’ (psychotherapist) or a ‘Klinisch Psycholoog BIG’ (clinical psychologist).

Exceptions
Sometimes insurance companies make exceptions to these requirements. For instance if you are offering a specialized service that is not available from a qualified psychologist. Sessions frompsychologists who are not fully qualified but who speak foreign languages such as Polish or Arabic are sometimes reimbursed because the insurance company acknowledges the importance of psychological help in that particular language.

What we advise
The best thing to do to get your services compensated is to get contracted by a health insurer so they will cover the costs of your treatment. If you are working without a contract (and have the right requirements) the health insurer will reimburse a part of the costs.

Also we recommend you get in contact with insurance companies yourself to see what they can offer you. For more information to get contracted by an insurance company see: Self employed.

If you have more questions you can contact us by email: info@psynip.nl.