Private Health Insurance Netherlands 2026: Allianz vs Cigna

Short answer: a private international policy from Allianz Care, Cigna Global or Aetna International does not replace Dutch health insurance. If you come to live or work in the Netherlands, the government says you must take out a policy with a Dutch insurer no later than 4 months after arriving, with cover from the day you arrive, even if you already have medical insurance elsewhere (Government.nl). A private policy can sit on top of it, for example for cover abroad or private rooms. Allianz Care and Cigna give prices only through a personal quote; Aetna International sells mainly through employers and brokers.

TL;DR

• If you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) is compulsory. An international policy does not replace it. If the CAK finds you uninsured, it sends a letter and then fines of €529.74 each (hetcak.nl).
• The exception the government names is an employer outside the Netherlands; then your insurance from the country you came from can be enough, under rules set out by the SVB. EU institution staff are covered by the EU’s JSIS scheme, and some students follow separate rules (Government.nl).
• Private international insurance can be an addition for cover abroad, private or semi-private rooms, or dental and outpatient modules.
• Prices: none of the three publishes a price list for individuals. Allianz Care and Cigna Global quote online; Aetna International did not publish individual plans or prices on 5 October 2026.
• The Dutch basic premium averaged €157 a month in 2026 (Rijksoverheid), with a compulsory deductible of €385.
• Zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance) is up to €129 a month for a single person in 2026 and is linked to the Dutch policy, never to Cigna, Aetna or Allianz.

Why an international policy does not count

The government is clear: “You are required to take out health insurance with a Dutch insurer, even if you have insurance for medical expenses in the country you came from” (Government.nl). Rijksoverheid adds that you must take out Dutch health insurance if you have a Dutch employer, work for that employer on a regular basis and pay Dutch payroll tax (loonbelasting).

None of the three insurers in this article is a Dutch insurer:

• Cigna Global policies are underwritten by Cigna Global Insurance Company Limited, regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission (cignaglobal.com, legal information, checked 5 October 2026).
• Allianz Care policies come from AWP Health & Life SA (Allianz and Allianz Partners are its registered business names), acting through its Irish branch in Dublin and regulated by the French supervisor ACPR (allianzcare.com, regulatory information, checked 5 October 2026).
• Aetna International presents itself as part of CVS Health and Aetna (aetnainternational.com, checked 5 October 2026).

These are the situations where the Dutch obligation does not apply or works differently (Government.nl):

1. You do not live or work in the Netherlands yet. The obligation is tied to living or working here. For a visit before you move, travel medical insurance such as SafetyWing can cover you. Our first 30 days checklist shows what to arrange after you arrive.
2. Your employer is outside the Netherlands. Then the insurance from the country you came from can be enough, under rules that the SVB (Social Insurance Bank) explains.
3. You work only for an EU institution. Then you are covered by the EU’s Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) and cannot take out Dutch health insurance.
4. You are an international student. Whether you need a Dutch policy depends on where you come from and what else you do besides studying; the government refers to Studyinholland.nl.

Everyone else needs the Dutch basic policy. Private insurance then becomes an add-on.

What Dutch basic insurance covers (and what it doesn’t)

In 2026 the Dutch basic policy cost €157 a month on average, with a compulsory deductible (eigen risico) of €385 a year for adults. According to Rijksoverheid’s overview of the basic package, it covers among other things:

• GP visits (huisarts), without deductible
• Hospital stays, operations and emergency care in hospital
• Medical specialists
• Most prescribed medicines
• Mental health care (basic and specialist ggz)
• Midwife care without deductible, and maternity home care (kraamzorg) with a statutory contribution per hour (see our baby cost guide)
• Urgent care abroad, reimbursed up to what the treatment costs in the Netherlands

What it does not cover, or covers only partly:

• Routine dental care from age 18; the basic package only covers surgical dental care and X-rays for adults
• Physiotherapy for adults, except from the 21st treatment for conditions on the chronic list (see our physio guide)
• Ordinary glasses and contact lenses
• The difference when a clinic abroad charges more than the Dutch rate; Rijksoverheid warns that in a private clinic this can run to “thousands of euros”
• Repatriation; Rijksoverheid says that is only covered by travel insurance or supplementary insurance
• IVF beyond what your policy covers; Rijksoverheid says the first 3 treatments are usually reimbursed, and this differs per insurer

These are the gaps a supplementary Dutch policy (aanvullende verzekering), travel insurance or a private international policy can fill.

Cigna Global

Cigna Global sells international health insurance to individuals and families in four core tiers: Close Care, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The annual overall benefit maximum per person is USD 500,000 on Close Care, USD 1,000,000 on Silver, USD 2,000,000 on Gold and paid in full on Platinum (cignaglobal.com, plans in detail, checked 5 October 2026).

The core plan covers inpatient and daypatient treatment. Outpatient care, vision and dental, health and wellbeing, and medical evacuation are optional modules. On the outpatient module you choose a deductible of USD 0, 150, 500, 1,000 or 1,500 and a cost share of 0% to 30%, with an out-of-pocket maximum of USD 3,000. Maternity care (routine maternity, complications and, in the outpatient module, pre-natal and post-natal care) is covered only on Gold and Platinum, not on Silver or Close Care, once the mother has been covered for 12 months; Cigna notes this may be 24 months depending on where treatment occurs (cignaglobal.com, plans in detail and optional benefits, checked 5 October 2026).

Cigna cites coverage in more than 200 markets and territories, 2.4m health professionals and customer service in more than 50 languages. It does not publish a price list: you get a premium through its online quote tool. Its limits are in US dollars; if you pay a premium in another currency, a Wise account is one way to convert at the mid-market rate with a visible conversion fee.

Before you buy, ask Cigna which hospitals in your Dutch city it settles with directly. Its homepage gives a global network figure, not a list for the Netherlands.

Aetna International

Aetna International’s website is organised around members, employers, brokers and government organisations. It cites “provider network access in 200+ countries and territories” (aetnainternational.com, checked 5 October 2026). On 5 October 2026 it did not publish individual plan names or prices. Plan names and prices for Aetna that circulate online could not be verified, so we do not repeat them here.

In practice you meet Aetna International through an employer’s group plan or a broker. If your employer offers it, ask HR for the policy documents: the benefit limits, the waiting periods for maternity, the pre-authorisation rules and the hospitals in your city that bill Aetna directly.

Allianz Care

Allianz Care offers three core plans for people who live abroad long term (allianzcare.com, international healthcare plans, checked 5 October 2026):

• Care Base: the entry-level plan, maximum plan limit €1,000,000
• Care Enhanced: maximum plan limit €2,000,000, includes maternity
• Care Signature: maximum plan limit €3,703,705, includes maternity

The core plans cover inpatient and day-care treatment, medical evacuation and repatriation. You can add an out-patient plan, with an optional out-patient deductible, and a dental plan. You choose an area of cover: Worldwide, Worldwide excluding USA, Africa or Europe. Allianz also sells a short-term plan for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months.

Allianz does not publish fixed prices. It says the cost “varies based on factors such as age, country of residence, number of members included in the policy, destination countries, coverage level, pre-existing conditions and medical history”, and gives a quote online.

Comparing what the three publish

Sources: cignaglobal.com, aetnainternational.com and allianzcare.com, checked 5 October 2026.

The Dutch basic policy averaged €157 a month in 2026, with a deductible of €385.

When private cover can make sense

1. You travel outside Europe often. The Dutch basic policy reimburses urgent care abroad only up to what the treatment costs in the Netherlands, and does not cover repatriation (Rijksoverheid). A private policy, travel insurance or a supplementary Dutch policy can cover the difference.
2. You want a private or semi-private room. Check what each plan says: Cigna’s Close Care, for example, lists a semi-private room.
3. You want dental cover. Routine adult dental care is not in the basic package. Compare a private dental module with a Dutch supplementary dental policy; see our health insurance add-ons guide.
4. You do not live or work in the Netherlands yet. Then the Dutch obligation does not apply, and travel medical cover such as SafetyWing is an option for a visit.

When private cover is probably not worth it:

• You plan to stay long term and mainly use care in the Netherlands. A Dutch basic policy plus a supplementary policy may cover what you need; see the VGZ review and Menzis review.
• You are on a tight budget. The private premium comes on top of the compulsory Dutch premium.

Zorgtoeslag: only for the Dutch policy

If your income in 2026 is below €40,857 (single) or €51,142 (with a partner), you may get zorgtoeslag, a healthcare allowance worth up to €129 a month for a single person and €246 a month for a couple (Belastingdienst).

Two details:

1. It is a contribution towards Dutch health insurance. Cigna, Aetna and Allianz premiums do not count.
2. You apply through Toeslagen (belastingdienst.nl). You can receive it from the time you are obliged to take out health insurance (Government.nl).

The “I just arrived, what now” decision tree

1. Arriving to work for a Dutch employer? Take out Dutch basic insurance no later than 4 months after arriving; cover then starts on the day you arrived (Government.nl). Travel insurance such as SafetyWing is for the period before you move, not for after you arrive. Choose a Dutch insurer (for example Zilveren Kruis, VGZ, Menzis or CZ; see our reviews) and add private cover on top only if you need it.
2. Working here for an employer outside the Netherlands? Check with the SVB whether your home-country insurance is enough. Keep the documents for any letter from the CAK.
3. Family joining via MVV / family reunification? Each family member who comes to live here needs Dutch health insurance. Children under 18 must be insured too, but you pay no premium and no deductible for them (Rijksoverheid). On a private international policy, children are priced in the quote.
4. Hiring an au pair? The IND requires an au pair to take out health insurance in the Netherlands. Ask the recognised sponsor (the au pair agency) which policy it arranges or accepts and who pays for it; see our au pair cost guide.
5. Kids going to international school? School fees (see our international school guide) are not health costs and no health policy covers them.

Practical steps:

1. Ask for quotes on the same day with the same age, area of cover, modules and deductible. Allianz Care and Cigna Global quote online; for Aetna International, ask your employer or a broker.
2. Check direct billing. Ask the hospital or clinic you would use whether it bills your insurer directly.
3. Read the maternity waiting period if family planning is on the table. Cigna states 12 months, or 24 depending on where treatment occurs, and only on Gold and Platinum.
4. Pick a deductible you can afford. A higher deductible lowers the premium, but you pay that amount yourself before the insurer pays.
5. Check the currency. Cigna’s limits are in US dollars; Allianz shows its plan limits in pounds and euros.

External source: Zorgverzekeringslijn — English info — independent information on this topic.