Health insurance changes per January 1

As per January,1 2015, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport Edith Schippers has implemented several changes regarding the reimbursement for dental care, orthodontics, physiotherapy and exercise therapy, and in the screening programme for newborns.

The BES Healthcare Insurance Claims Regulation (Regeling Aanspraken Zorgverzekering BES (RAZ BES)) stipulates which healthcare claims are included in the healthcare claims package for residents of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. Among the changes is the introduction of the heel prick as part of neonatal screening for newborns.

With regard to dental care, orthodontics, physiotherapy and exercise therapy, several treatments and activities will no longer be reimbursed. For children up to and including the age of 17 orthodontic costs will no longer be reimbursed; for children who are already under treatment a phasing-out arrangement is to apply. For adults the once-only periodic preventive dental examination and treatment will no longer be reimbursed.

Physiotherapy will only be reimbursed starting from the 21st treatment in case there is a medical recommendation for a chronic disorder. The chronic list has been determined by the minister and can be found on www.rijksdienstcn.com/zorg/ chronische-lijst-2015.

For people who already are under treatment with a medical recommendation for a chronic disorder there is a phasing-out arrangement and the treatment continues to be reimbursed in full.

Insured persons can apply to healthcare providers and Healthcare Insurance Office ZVK for information about these changes in the healthcare claims package.