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International Patient Care

Are you seeking for complex medical treatment or a second opinion? If you have never visited a hospital overseas, don’t hesitate. We help international patients from all over the world every day. Just click on the green button below and send us your request.

International patient care within Erasmus MC

On a yearly bases we receive a lot of requests from people living abroad. At Erasmus MC we have a variety of complex treatment possibilities.

To get access for treatment we follow the following steps: 

  1. Fill in the form 'Request an appointment' (following soon).
  2. We will send a confirmation of your request by email and ask for additional medical information.
  3. When the medical evaluation is done, you will receive an email with a rejection (if treatment is not possible) or an email with additional questions about your insurance or payment for the treatment.
  4. After payment of the advanced invoice or a valid guarantee of payment (GOP) we will schedule a first appointment.
  5. When an appointment is scheduled you will receive the official appointment letter by email.

Erasmus MC does not have a lot of contract agreements with International insurance companies. Very rarely do we see a guarantee of payment (GOP) from an International insurer being accepted for reimbursement of the treatment.

Frontservice

When you are living or working in the Netherlands you are legally obliged to be insured with a Dutch health insurer. If you are not insured with a valid insurance, you are an uninsured patient.

As an uninsured patient we have a hospital protocol. This means that you have to pay the full cost of treatment yourself. If you want to know how this applies for you, just click on the following link (in Dutch only): Zorgkosten voor onverzekerde patiënten. Or contact us by using our contact form.

European citizen and EHIC card (European Health Insurances Card)

Do you use emergency medical care abroad? Then the foreign care provider, for example a hospital, will reclaim the costs from your health insurer. Based on your health insurance and excess, your health insurer will determine which costs will be reimbursed and what you have to pay yourself. 

If you have a valid EHIC card, you may be able to apply for reimbursement for your treatment for plannable care based on an S2 form.
You should request this S2 form at your insurer in Europe (e.g. the Czech Republic) prior to your treatment. In this case you do not receive an advanced invoices before treatment.

Example EHIC card from the Czech Republic:

voorbeeld-ehic-card

Erasmus MC only has a direct billing with an EHIC CAK NL card, with this insurance you do not need a S2 or GOP and advanced invoices are also not the case.

Example EHIC from the Netherlands:

Should you use any other international insurance(s) please let us know. With most international insurances, a guarantee of payment (GOP) is applicable for obtaining care. 
We would be happy to assist you with answers about the international insurance that you use. 

It is our hospital policy to pay or arrange a guarantee of payment (from your insurance) upfront and declare the treatment costs with the specified Erasmus MC invoice.


Note: The EHIC does not apply for planned care. Check with your health insurer whether and how you are insured for planned care abroad. 

Read more details about health care and EHIC

Estimated care costs and Diagnosis Treatment Combinations (DBC)

Erasmus MC is obliged to invoice healthcare costs in accordance with the Law & Regulations of the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZA). 
The estimated care costs are invoiced in Diagnosis Treatment Combinations (DBC). A DBC states which diagnosis belongs to your treatment program and which treatment(s) you have had. 

Each DBC has its own fixed price. The price list of all DBCs is published on Erasmus MC's website and is revised and set every year. The price list can be found at: https://www.erasmusmc.nl/en/patient-care/list-prices.

When treatment is possible and no valid insurances are present we will send you an advanced invoice with the estimate care costs (based on the DBC pricing)
Your total treatment may consist of several advanced invoices.

When the DBC care period is closed you will receive a specified Erasmus MC invoice. 
With this specified Erasmus MC invoice (only in Dutch) you can ask your insurance company for possible reimbursement of the treatment costs. 

Your total treatment can also consist of several specified Erasmus MC invoices.
Note: due to the Dutch law this specified invoice can only been given a few months after the last appointment!

Patients registered in the Netherlands with BSN registration

If you are registered in the Netherlands and have a BSN number (i.e. a Citizen Service Number), your application will not be processed. In this case you will first need a referral from your general practitioner. If you do not have one, you need to find a general practitioner.

Contact form

If you have any remaining questions after reading our website, just fill in the contact form. 

Contact International Patient Care