Reimbursement of medical costs
For living kidney or liver donation, the health insurer covers many of the medical costs. No deductible applies.
Medical costs via health insurance
The health insurer covers medical costs for:
- Preparatory examinations, hospital admission, and the surgery.
- Check-ups and any other medical procedures after the surgery. For kidney donation, this applies up to 3 months after the surgery. For 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 (GP) doctor, or other healthcare providers.
Are you having an examination at a hospital other than the transplant hospital? Then these hospitals must settle the costs between themselves. As a donor, you should not receive a bill for this. If you do? Then contact the social worker at the transplant hospital.
It is important that healthcare providers and pharmacists state on their invoice that their care was related to the organ donation.
No deductible
You do not have to pay a deductible for medical costs that are a direct result 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. It is important, however, that healthcare providers state on the invoice 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 deductible. The invoice must be coded by the GP/hospital as follow-up after organ donation. This prevents an insurer from accidentally charging a deductible anyway.
What if the health insurer charges the excess anyway?
Then you can reclaim this money with the expense reimbursement via the NTS. This only applies to the costs of the excess (deductible) up to 3 months after kidney donation and 6 months after liver donation.
What if additional medical care is needed?
Additional medical care from a dietician or a physiotherapist is sometimes reimbursed through health insurance. Is this not the case? Then you can sometimes reclaim the costs via the scheme expense reimbursement via the NTS.
This is only possible for costs you incur before the operation or within 3 months after kidney donation, or within 6 months after liver donation.
What if the donor sustains personal injury due to the donation?
It very occasionally happens that an injury (personal injury) occurs due to the donation. Usually, the costs for this 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 covers personal injury if:
- the complaints or incapacity for work are the result of the donation and
- the hospital is not at fault for this
The social worker at the transplant hospital can tell you more about this.
What if I incur travel expenses for medical appointments?
Do you incur travel expenses for the donation, for example to go to the hospital or the GP? These costs are reimbursed by 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 (for kidney donation) or 26 weeks (for liver donation) applies, calculated from the date of discharge from the hospital.
The health insurance covers travel expenses within the Netherlands by public transport in the lowest class. Is it medically necessary to travel by car? Then the insurer will reimburse the mileage costs. These costs are exempt from the mandatory excess.
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 expenses for this? Then the donor can also use the Living Donation Expense Reimbursement scheme 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 pays for:
- Costs of the trip to the Netherlands.
- Travel expenses within the Netherlands.
- Hospital accommodation costs.
Do you incur any additional costs?
For example, for hotel stays after discharge from the hospital? Or for a second trip to the Netherlands for a check-up? Then you can request reimbursement for this via the Living Donation Expense Reimbursement scheme via the NTS.
Additional 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 at home, for childcare, or a temporary meal service.
Do I get reimbursed for help at home?
Do you need domestic help after discharge from the hospital, and are you unable to get this through family or friends? Then there are 2 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 costs. However, as a donor, you must pay a personal contribution. You can claim this back via the Living Donation Expense Reimbursement scheme via the NTS.
- You hire domestic help through a commercial organization. You can receive a reimbursement of up to €300 for this. Apply for this via the Living Donation Expense Reimbursement scheme.
Is there a reimbursement for childcare or pet care?
You can be reimbursed for the costs of childcare, care for a loved one, or pet care for the period you are in the hospital up to and including the recovery period.
This concerns:
- For a kidney donor: a maximum of 3 months.
- For a liver donor: a maximum of 6 months.
You can apply for this reimbursement from the NTS via theLiving Donation Expense Reimbursement scheme.
What about other costs I incur regarding the donation?
There is a fixed reimbursement for general expenses. This concerns costs such as parking fees, meal service costs, extra facilities in the hospital, or gifts for informal caregivers.
The fixed reimbursement is:
- For a kidney donation: €381.
- For a liver donation: €425.
You can apply for this reimbursement via theLiving Donation Expense Reimbursement scheme.
Current and new insurance policies
A living donation has no influence on existing insurance policies. The donor does not need to report the surgery in advance.
Do you want to take out a new disability insurance or life insurance policy before the donation? Then you must always complete a health declaration. If you know that the donation is going ahead, you must report this in that declaration. There are 2 options:
- The insurer requests that you postpone the application until after the surgery. You may submit the application if you no longer have any complaints after the surgery.
- The insurer can take out the insurance immediately. You often pay a higher premium in the first period, different conditions apply, or there is a waiting period. This could mean, for example, that you will not receive a benefit 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 a benefit? And are you an entrepreneur?
Then you can request compensation for lost 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 compensation?
The social worker or coordinator at the hospital is happy to 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