KNM healthcare: the huisarts, 112 and health insurance

Health is one of the eight themes of the KNM exam. The questions are about who you go to when you are ill, what you must arrange yourself, and what the insurance pays. Here are the key facts, with real practice questions from Kora.

By the Kora team: Alex, Mariel and Abena, who did inburgering themselves. Written with help from AI. Every fact is checked against the official source. How we write our guides

Sources checked on 8 November 2026 (list at the bottom of this page). Kora is independent and not connected to DUO, CvTE or the IND. Plain text version to copy (.md)

What the KNM exam asks about health and healthcare

KNM questions are short situations. Someone is ill, pregnant or has toothache, and you choose who they go to first. Often two answers are real organisations, but only one fits the situation.

The most important idea: in the Netherlands the huisarts (family doctor) is your first stop. You do not go straight to the hospital.

Who does what

Huisarts (family doctor): your first contact for almost every health problem. The huisarts treats you or refers you to a specialist.
Huisartsenpost: for urgent care in the evening, at night and at the weekend, when it is not life-threatening. Call first.
112: only when a life is in danger right now. It is free and works from any phone.
Apotheek (pharmacy): you collect medicines on prescription here. A drogist only sells medicines without a prescription.
Tandarts (dentist): for problems with your teeth.
Verloskundige (midwife): checks during a normal pregnancy, and the birth.
Consultatiebureau: growth checks and vaccinations for young children.

What you must arrange yourself

Health insurance. Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands must have standard health insurance (basisverzekering). You choose the insurer yourself.
A huisarts. Nobody does this for you. Call a practice near your home and ask to register. If you cannot find one, your health insurer can help.
A referral letter (verwijsbrief). For a hospital or specialist you usually need one from your huisarts. Without it, you may have to pay yourself.
Zorgtoeslag. On a low income you can get help with the cost of insurance. You apply yourself, online with DigiD, at Dienst Toeslagen.

Money: what the insurance pays

The standard insurance pays for the huisarts, the hospital and medicines on prescription. Visits to the huisarts do not count towards your eigen risico. The eigen risico is the amount you pay yourself each year for other care, such as the hospital. The amount can change, so check it with your insurer.

Dental care for adults and most physiotherapy are usually not in the standard package. You pay yourself or take extra insurance (aanvullende verzekering). Children under 18 pay no premium.

Practice questions from Kora

These are real questions from Kora's KNM practice, in Dutch like the exam. In the app, each fact comes back in new words, so you learn the fact and not the sentence.

1. Amina is net verhuisd naar Eindhoven en heeft nog geen huisarts. Wat moet ze doen?
Answer: Zelf een huisartsenpraktijk in de buurt bellen om zich in te schrijven.
Why: You choose and call a huisarts yourself. The municipality and the insurer do not do it for you.
2. Sara is ziek in het weekend en heeft snel een dokter nodig, maar het is geen levensgevaar. Wat doet ze?
Answer: Ze belt de huisartsenpost.
Why: Not life-threatening, outside office hours: the huisartsenpost. Call first.
3. De buurvrouw van Leila is gevallen en reageert niet meer. Welk nummer belt Leila?
Answer: 112, het landelijke alarmnummer.
Why: Someone does not react: a life may be in danger. That is 112.
4. Karim wil een afspraak in het ziekenhuis maken voor zijn schouder. Wat heeft hij meestal nodig?
Answer: Een verwijzing (verwijsbrief) van de huisarts.
Why: For the hospital you usually need a referral letter from the huisarts.
5. Is een basiszorgverzekering verplicht voor iemand die in Nederland woont?
Answer: Ja, iedereen die in Nederland woont of werkt, is verplicht een basisverzekering te hebben.
Why: Standard health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives or works here.
6. Fatima heeft een laag inkomen en betaalt elke maand haar zorgverzekering. Ze hoort dat ze hulp kan krijgen. Wat kan ze aanvragen?
Answer: Zorgtoeslag van de Belastingdienst.
Why: Zorgtoeslag helps people on a low income pay for health insurance. Huurtoeslag is for rent.
7. Mira is zwanger en wil de gewone controles tijdens haar zwangerschap. Naar wie gaat ze meestal?
Answer: Naar een verloskundige.
Why: In a normal pregnancy the midwife does the checks. The consultatiebureau comes after the birth.
8. Karim is 30 jaar en moet naar de tandarts. Hoe zit het meestal met de kosten voor volwassenen?
Answer: De tandarts zit meestal niet in de basisverzekering, dus je betaalt zelf of neemt een aanvullende verzekering.
Why: For adults, the dentist is usually not in the standard package.

Practice all healthcare questions Try one KNM question free, no account

Questions people ask

Do I go to the hospital when I am ill?

Usually not straight away. You go to your huisarts first. The huisarts treats you or gives you a referral letter for the hospital. Only in a life-threatening situation do you call 112.

What is the difference between the huisartsenpost and 112?

The huisartsenpost is for urgent care outside office hours when it is not life-threatening. You call first. 112 is for emergencies where a life is in danger right now.

Is health insurance compulsory in the Netherlands?

Yes. Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands must have standard health insurance. Children under 18 pay no premium. Extra insurance, for example for the dentist, is your own choice.

Practice healthcare in your own language

Kora explains every KNM answer in your own language, and asks each fact again in new words. 7 days free, no card needed. It is practice, not a promise: nobody can tell you in advance that you will pass.

Practice all healthcare questions

Sources

Sources checked on 8 November 2026. The facts on this page come from these official pages and from Kora's own checked KNM questions. Rules change: if something here differs from an official page, the official page is right. This is general information, not legal advice.

Kora is independent, not DUO. It is not connected to DUO, CvTE or the IND, and it cannot book exams for you.