I haven't been paying much attention to Dutch politics, really. Overall it just kind of flows around, no major ups or downs, it just is. Or so I thought.
The current Dutch Prime Minister (or Minister-President, as they call him here) Jan-Peter Balkenende looks quite a lot like Harry Potter, only he's infinitely less cool. Since I got here 2 years ago, I kind of missed the elections and the bruhaha right before it and had better things to do (read: learn Dutch, not get lost in Amsterdam, find a job etc.) than get immersed in the fine print of Dutch politics.
Now though, it's becoming increasingly clear that Balkenende is doing something that in Dutch terms is radical conservative politics. Apparently, over the last 30-40 years the liberals have been in power, forming te Netherlands into the (lefty)liberal paradise it is, with as little as possible intervention from the government, lots of personal freedoms, legalised cannabis, prostitution, increased incentives for businesses, better integration for immigrants and so forth. But apparently two years ago it became apparent that people were becoming less and less happy with the results of some of these policies. Results such as second generation immigrants who don't really fit in and form gangs or results such as increased drug-related crime... So they voted for the Christian Democrats without actually thinking it through.
And now small changes are starting to seep into people's everyday lives. Yesterday, paddo's (magic mushrooms) were made illegal. Balkenende also wants to make abortions illegal and have more women stay home and have babies which in general is, of course, a commendable idea (the staying home, not the abortions) but... there are already much too many people living in the Netherlands. It's the 26th most crowded country in the world (see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_density) note here that China, for example, is 75th in that list. Also, as has been proven on counless occasions, banning abortions does NOT make them not happen. It only makes them take place illegally by inferior doctors with inferior materials and resulting in more serious and permanent damage.
Even more, what has been my pet peeve ever since I got here - the fact that nothing is ever open. General clothes-boots-books stores even on Kalverstraat close promptly at 6 o'clock, food stores generally stay open until 8, in very rare cases until 10 and I know only one store within 20 min walking distance from our place (and that is in central Amsterdam) that stays open 24/7. If you happen to work then when on Earth will you ever buy anything? On the weekend? yes, that would explain the ginormous masses thronging the tiny streets of Amsterdam on Saturday (because, of course, on Sunday most places are closed again). Now, the inteligent people in the government though that they would alleviate the situation and created "Koopzondags" - literally translated as "Buying Sundays", which are not always Sundays. These are days, in every town different days - in Amsterdam for example, Thursdays - when the stores stay open until 8 o'clock. *gasp* so that once a week the working person can delay on dinner to have a "beat the clock and other frantic working people looking for stuff marathon" in order to buy a pair of pants or whatever.
Apparently though Balkenende finds this too lenient and wants to reduce -yes, you read that right REDUCE - the amount of Koopzondags. Er... because the economy is doing much too well right now and needs to be brought down a notch or five? And besides, all god-fearing people should stay home at all times when not working.
I know, I know, most of these things will probably never go through, the society here is much too used to the liberal freedoms they have. But... nevertheless, it's a bit scary to find out what the guy on top really wants to do.
Showing posts with label laws and regulations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label laws and regulations. Show all posts
Monday, December 1, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Healthcare in a wellfare state?
Even though The Netherlands is not "The" wellfare state like Sweden or Finland, it is "A" wellfare state that is often used as a glowing example of how things should be run in the healthcare system.
But foreigners, especially if you happen to want to settle for a while and perhaps even work, beware! The Dutch healthcare system was relatively recently privatized, which was supposed to create competition on the market and eventually provide the people with better quality-for-your-pay medical care. Everyone chose a health insurance provider and all was good. The problem for foreigners - like me - is that from the moment you are registered to live in the Netherlands (which is necessary if you want a legal job and get a social-security/ID number aka burgernummer formerly known as sofi-number. Registering to live is relatively easy if you're a European citizen, all you need is your passport and a legal place to live = rent contract or some such) you are OBLIGED to have a DUTCH health insurance. This, of course, no one tells you.
All information is in Dutch, which is how it should be seeing as this is the official language of the country. But there are tens of thousands of foreigners here and tens, if not hundreds arriving every day who do not have the slightest clue about the language. Of course they will learn as soon as they can, but the moment they get themselves registered I very much doubt that the majority can understand Dutch. Therefore it would only make logical sense to have at least the information that health insurance is reqired in the major languages of the World available at the immigration office... But I digress.
When I registered to live in the Netherlands I was asked if I have a health insurance. I said yes, I have an Estonian health insurance which is valid in all of the EU and showed him the card and everything. The official guy said "Good. Sign here..." During the whole process of making sure everything was in order with my stay in the Netherlands no one mentioned to me that I would need a Dutch health insurance. And I asked: "I have done this this and this. Is there anything else I should pay attention to?".
Fast forward half a year during which, being from EE I couldn't find a job that didn't involve scrubbing floors. I'll write about that some other time... Anyway, as soon as the laws changed allowing people from the New EU states (except Bulgaria and Romania) to work according to the same regulations as all other EU citizens, I was literally whooshed off my feet and within the week found myself working at an office near the Schiphol airport. And this is when I found out that I was legall obliged to have a Dutch health insurance. So I applied for one.
A few days later I got a letter saying that they want to fine me for the time I wasn't insured. The amount was my monthly insurance cost times 6. And my monthly insurance cost was just over 100 euros. Very expensive, if you ask me but this is Western Europe and everything is expensive here. This is just about the least you can pay per month. So 600 euros just for not being informed that I needed a Dutch insurance. At that time my Estonian insurance was still 100% valid and I thought I was completely insured for any emergency. I hadn't been ill and hadn't needed any medical care whatsoever and they just take my money. Splendid. I sent a complaint stating my ignorance and didn't hear back from them for months.
Fast forward another 4 months. I received a letter from some agency or another saying that they had received my complaint from the health insurance company but had sent it back to them because they don't deal with complaints of that nature. oooookaaayy... Fast forward 2 more months. I get a letter from my health insurance company (in Dutch, of course. But luckily it's now been a year that I've lived here so I understand the letter) saying that ignorance does not save me. Yeah, whatever. By now I'm so fed up with the whole thing that I just want to drag it out some more for them so that in the end they've spent more than my measly 600 euros on administration and work-costs. I'm feeling vindictive. So I send a letter saying that I don't want to pay it in one lump sum but in parts, please.
A few weeks after that (that is, this past weekend) I fill out my tax report. Because like all people I want my money back. Turns out that because I wasn't employed and thereforemy employer didn't pay their part of insurances for the first 6 months I now get 500 euros less back from my paid taxes. Ok, so it's money I had already paid for taxes and never actually *had* but still... Welfare state indeed.
So I can live here but can't work and while I can't work I have to pay a hundred euros per month for health insurance, which I don't know I have to pay. On top of that my non-existent employer, because, remember, I can't work, does not pay their part of the insurance. And the state and the health insurance company combined take my 1100 euros. Which, excuse me, is almost my monthly wage, net.
Morale of the year: never believe the Dutch bureaucracy-officials, they know nothing. Also, don't trust all of the information you fins ont eh official expat pages on the Internet. I checked and there's absolutely nothing on health insurance anywhere. Talk to your (potential) employer about what you need organised. And trying to out-protest the system only delays the inevitable but at least it should give you some time to amass the money...
But foreigners, especially if you happen to want to settle for a while and perhaps even work, beware! The Dutch healthcare system was relatively recently privatized, which was supposed to create competition on the market and eventually provide the people with better quality-for-your-pay medical care. Everyone chose a health insurance provider and all was good. The problem for foreigners - like me - is that from the moment you are registered to live in the Netherlands (which is necessary if you want a legal job and get a social-security/ID number aka burgernummer formerly known as sofi-number. Registering to live is relatively easy if you're a European citizen, all you need is your passport and a legal place to live = rent contract or some such) you are OBLIGED to have a DUTCH health insurance. This, of course, no one tells you.
All information is in Dutch, which is how it should be seeing as this is the official language of the country. But there are tens of thousands of foreigners here and tens, if not hundreds arriving every day who do not have the slightest clue about the language. Of course they will learn as soon as they can, but the moment they get themselves registered I very much doubt that the majority can understand Dutch. Therefore it would only make logical sense to have at least the information that health insurance is reqired in the major languages of the World available at the immigration office... But I digress.
When I registered to live in the Netherlands I was asked if I have a health insurance. I said yes, I have an Estonian health insurance which is valid in all of the EU and showed him the card and everything. The official guy said "Good. Sign here..." During the whole process of making sure everything was in order with my stay in the Netherlands no one mentioned to me that I would need a Dutch health insurance. And I asked: "I have done this this and this. Is there anything else I should pay attention to?".
Fast forward half a year during which, being from EE I couldn't find a job that didn't involve scrubbing floors. I'll write about that some other time... Anyway, as soon as the laws changed allowing people from the New EU states (except Bulgaria and Romania) to work according to the same regulations as all other EU citizens, I was literally whooshed off my feet and within the week found myself working at an office near the Schiphol airport. And this is when I found out that I was legall obliged to have a Dutch health insurance. So I applied for one.
A few days later I got a letter saying that they want to fine me for the time I wasn't insured. The amount was my monthly insurance cost times 6. And my monthly insurance cost was just over 100 euros. Very expensive, if you ask me but this is Western Europe and everything is expensive here. This is just about the least you can pay per month. So 600 euros just for not being informed that I needed a Dutch insurance. At that time my Estonian insurance was still 100% valid and I thought I was completely insured for any emergency. I hadn't been ill and hadn't needed any medical care whatsoever and they just take my money. Splendid. I sent a complaint stating my ignorance and didn't hear back from them for months.
Fast forward another 4 months. I received a letter from some agency or another saying that they had received my complaint from the health insurance company but had sent it back to them because they don't deal with complaints of that nature. oooookaaayy... Fast forward 2 more months. I get a letter from my health insurance company (in Dutch, of course. But luckily it's now been a year that I've lived here so I understand the letter) saying that ignorance does not save me. Yeah, whatever. By now I'm so fed up with the whole thing that I just want to drag it out some more for them so that in the end they've spent more than my measly 600 euros on administration and work-costs. I'm feeling vindictive. So I send a letter saying that I don't want to pay it in one lump sum but in parts, please.
A few weeks after that (that is, this past weekend) I fill out my tax report. Because like all people I want my money back. Turns out that because I wasn't employed and thereforemy employer didn't pay their part of insurances for the first 6 months I now get 500 euros less back from my paid taxes. Ok, so it's money I had already paid for taxes and never actually *had* but still... Welfare state indeed.
So I can live here but can't work and while I can't work I have to pay a hundred euros per month for health insurance, which I don't know I have to pay. On top of that my non-existent employer, because, remember, I can't work, does not pay their part of the insurance. And the state and the health insurance company combined take my 1100 euros. Which, excuse me, is almost my monthly wage, net.
Morale of the year: never believe the Dutch bureaucracy-officials, they know nothing. Also, don't trust all of the information you fins ont eh official expat pages on the Internet. I checked and there's absolutely nothing on health insurance anywhere. Talk to your (potential) employer about what you need organised. And trying to out-protest the system only delays the inevitable but at least it should give you some time to amass the money...
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