Nicole van Haelst
On 28 October 2014, ONVZ Zorgverzekeraar organised a lunch seminar for HR professionals at Amsterdam Zuidas. Themed ‘Keep your talent on board’, the seminar addressed the difficulties employers have in attracting international staff and retaining them in the Netherlands in the long term. Apart from salary, various factors – such as childcare and access to good health care – can be key factors for expats when deciding whether to take a job. Hello Zuidas met with Nicole van Haelst, director of the International Community Platform (ICP) and one of the seminar speakers, and Nicolette Sluis and Benno van der Bles of ONVZ Zorgverzekeraar to look back on this successful event.
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY PLATFORM
by asking both them and HR professionals about what
The ICP is a collective of companies who all have a large number
they’re satisfied with and what’s missing.’
of international employees. Van Haelst explains, ‘International transfer of knowledge, access to markets and to balance our
ONVZ LETS PATIENTS CHOOSE DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS, EVEN ABROAD
net export of talent. As such, we try to ensure the best possible
It’s no mystery why ONVZ is so popular among expats. Aside from
living and working climate for expats in the Netherlands. To do
good access to information, it is also down to the policy conditions
that, we start by listening to their experiences, needs and wishes,
themselves. ‘Our health-care plans offer lots of benefits for
and then take these insights to Dutch service providers, who can
policyholders in general, and specifically for expats as well,’
subsequently work to meet those exact needs. That’s also how
says Van der Bles. ‘We only do non-contracted health-care plans,
we came into contact with ONVZ. Moreover, ONVZ tops the
which means that policyholders are entirely free to choose their
list of health-care insurers on the independent website
own doctor and hospital. And in principle those costs are fully
www.check-nl.com, where expat professionals can find and
reimbursed, which means policyholders are not restricted to
evaluate service providers that cater to their particular needs.’
contracted care providers, as is the case at many other insurance
professionals are absolutely vital to the Dutch economy for the
companies. What’s more, with ONVZ, policyholders can even
GOOD ACCESS TO INFORMATION
opt to receive treatment abroad, provided the treatment in
‘Health care in the Netherlands compares very well to
question is comparable to what they would receive in the
that in other countries. However, for expats working here,
Netherlands. In such cases, policyholders are reimbursed up
finding information is a problem. The services are there,
to a maximum of the Dutch rate. Many of these invoices are
but information about them for foreigners is not,’ stresses
reimbursed for the full 100%, as the Dutch rate is often the same
Van Haelst. ONVZ is addressing this gap in various ways.
as that charged abroad. Other insurers impose stricter conditions.’
For example, all the information on its website is also available in English and they have English-speaking staff to provide assistance by telephone. Beyond this, ONVZ keeps constant
For further information, please email vo@onvz.nl,
track of where needs actually arise in practice. Sluis confirms,
call +31 (0)30-6396566, or visit www.onvz.nl.
‘We’ll continue to assess the needs of this specific target group
Text Sanne Offringa | Photography Wouter van Ierssel
41.