Reimbursement of medical costs
In the case of a living kidney or liver donation, the health insurer reimburses many of the medical costs. There is no mandatory excess.
Medical costs via health insurance
The health insurer reimburses medical costs for:
- Preparatory examinations, hospital admission, and the surgery.
- Check-ups and any other medical procedures after the surgery. For a kidney donation, this is done up to 3 months after the surgery. For a liver donation, up to 6 months after the surgery. As a donor, you do not need to do anything for this. The health insurer pays the medical costs directly to the hospital, the (general) practitioner, or other healthcare providers.
Are you undergoing an examination in a hospital other than the transplant hospital? Then these hospitals must settle the costs with each other. As a donor, you must not receive a bill for this. Does this happen? Then contact the social worker at the transplant hospital.
It is important that healthcare providers and pharmacists state on their claim that their care was related to the organ donation.
No excess
You do not have to pay any statutory excess for the medical costs that are a direct consequence of the donation. This also applies to care you receive a long time after the donation, as long as this care is related to the kidney or liver donation.
You do not need to arrange anything for this yourself. However, it is important that healthcare providers state on the claim that the care is related to organ donation. An insurer may also ask for a statement from the doctor, stating that the complaints are the result of the donation.
The periodic/annual medical follow-up check-up is also not subject to the statutory excess. The claim must be coded by the general practitioner/hospital as a follow-up check-up after organ donation. This prevents an insurer from accidentally charging the statutory excess anyway.
What if the health insurer charges the deductible anyway?
If the health insurer does charge the statutory excess after all, you can do the following:
- Contact your health insurer. Explain that you have incurred costs as a donor and that no statutory excess may be charged for this. Ask if they will correct the bill.
- Refer to the rules. You can point out to the health insurer that this is laid down by law. This is stated in the Health Insurance Decree, articles 2.5 and 2.17. They state that costs related to living organ donation, such as for a kidney/liver donation, may not be charged against the statutory deductible.
If it is not resolved.
- Can't you reach a solution with your health insurer? Then you can (with proof of rejection from the insurer) contact the NTS. Or you can file a complaint
What if additional medical care is needed?
Additional medical care from a dietician or a physiotherapist is sometimes reimbursed through the supplementary health insurance. Is this not the case? Then you can claim back the costs via the Expense reimbursement for living donation via the NTS.
This is only possible for costs incurred before the surgery or within 13 weeks after the kidney donation, or within 26 weeks after the liver donation.
What if the donor sustains personal injury due to the donation?
It very occasionally happens that an injury (personal injury) occurs as a result of the donation. Usually, the costs thereof are covered by the hospital's personal injury insurance.
Is that not the case? Then you can make use of the 'complication coverage insurance'. This insurance reimburses personal injury if:
- the complaints or incapacity for work are the result of the donation and
- the hospital is not to blame for this
The social worker of the transplant hospital can tell you more about this.
What if I incur travel expenses for medical appointments?
Do you incur travel costs for the donation, for example to go to the hospital or the general practitioner? These costs are reimbursed by the health insurance.
This concerns travel expenses for:
- Preliminary examinations.
- Hospital admission.
- Visits to the hospital, doctors, or other healthcare providers during the recovery period. A maximum of 13 weeks applies for kidney donation or 26 weeks for liver donation, calculated from the date of discharge from the hospital.
Health insurance reimburses travel expenses within the Netherlands by public transport in the lowest class. Is it medically necessary to travel by car? If so, the insurer will reimburse the mileage costs. These costs are exempt from the deductible (eigen risico).
Travel expenses for your companion
Are you supported by a family member or friend during your hospital stay? And does that person incur travel or accommodation costs for this? If so, the donor can also make use of the Living Donation Expense Reimbursement via the NTS.
What if the donor comes from abroad?
It may happen that the donor comes to the Netherlands from abroad for the donation. In that case, the recipient's insurance covers:
- Costs of the journey to the Netherlands.
- Travel expenses within the Netherlands.
- Accommodation costs in the hospital.
Are you incurring any additional costs?
For example, for hotel stays after discharge from the hospital? Or for a second trip to the Netherlands for a follow-up check-up within 13 weeks (kidney donation) or 26 weeks (liver donation) after discharge from the hospital? If so, you can apply for a reimbursement for this via the Living Donation Expense Reimbursement via the NTS.
Extra costs in your home situation
There are also a number of costs you incur in your home situation, for example because you temporarily need extra help around the house, for childcare, or for your pets.
Will I be reimbursed for the costs of help at home?
Do you need domestic help after being discharged from the hospital, and are you unable to receive this through family or friends? Then there are 2 possibilities:
Do you need domestic help after being discharged from the hospital? Then there are 3 options:
- You apply for domestic help through the municipality. This concerns help under the Social Support Act (Wmo). The municipality will assess whether you are entitled to this. If so, the municipality will pay the majority of the help. However, as a donor, you must pay a personal contribution. You can request this back via theExpense reimbursement for living donation via the NTS.
- You hire domestic help through a commercial organization. For this, you can receive a reimbursement of a maximum of €383. Apply for the reimbursement via the Living Donation Expense Reimbursement scheme.
- You request informal domestic help from your network. The reimbursement for this is a maximum of €14.50 per hour up to a maximum amount of €383. For this reimbursement, you must include a statement from the domestic helper containing: name, address, and signature of the informal domestic helper, the period and the number of hours per day this person helped, and the reimbursement. You can find this (online) submission formhere.
Is there a reimbursement for childcare or pet care?
You can be reimbursed for the costs of childcare, or the care of a relative or pet, for the period from when you are in the hospital up to and including the recovery period.
This concerns:
- For a kidney donor: a maximum of 13 weeks after discharge from the hospital.
- For a liver donor: a maximum of 26 weeks after discharge from the hospital.
You can apply for this reimbursement from the NTS via theLiving Donation Expense Reimbursement.
What about other expenses I incur surrounding the donation?
There is a fixed reimbursement for general expenses. This concerns costs such as parking fees, meal service costs, extra hospital facilities, or gifts for informal caregivers. The fixed reimbursement is:
- In the case of a kidney donation: €486.
- In the case of a liver donation: €542
You can apply for this reimbursement via theExpense reimbursement for living donation.
Current and new insurance policies
A living donation does not affect existing insurance policies. The donor does not need to notify the insurer in advance of the surgery.
Do you want to take out a new disability insurance or life insurance policy before the donation? In that case, you always have to complete a health declaration. If you know that the donation will take place, you must state this in that declaration. There are 2 options:
- The insurer asks you to postpone the application until after the surgery. You may submit the application if you have no further complaints after the surgery.
- The insurer may issue the policy immediately. In that case, you will often pay a higher premium in the initial period, other conditions will apply, or there will be a waiting period. This could mean, for example, that you will not receive a payout if you become disabled as a result of the donation.
Are you unable to take out disability insurance before the donation? Or does the insurance not pay out? And are you an entrepreneur?
Then you can apply for compensation for missed income via the Living Donation Expense Reimbursement Scheme.
- Read more about organ donation and insurance at VanAtotzekerheid.nl
- Ask your questions to the social worker at the transplant hospital.
Questions about reimbursements?
The social worker or coordinator at the hospital will gladly provide an explanation and help you apply for compensation. Do you have a question about the NTS compensation?
Available on working days from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM