From Scrubs to Stroopwafels: A Doctor’s Visit in the Netherlands
When I swapped California freeways for Dutch bike paths, I expected differences—stroopwafels instead of donuts, windmills instead of skyscrapers. What I didn’t expect was how different it would feel to walk into a doctor’s office. Having spent decades in scrubs and later as a healthcare consultant, I know the U.S. system inside and out: the co-pays, the paperwork, the endless billing codes. But sitting in a small Dutch waiting room, no clipboard in sight, I realized I was experiencing something rare in healthcare—calm.
Moving abroad teaches you to expect the unexpected. Sometimes it’s delightful—like pedaling past a castle on your way to the grocery store. Other times, it’s unnerving—like the first time you need a doctor and realize the system doesn’t work at all like it did back home.
Making the Appointment
In California, booking a doctor’s appointment felt like gearing up for battle: insurance cards, hold music, weeks-long waits, and the looming fear of what it might cost. I knew all the system-level reasons why—too few primary care doctors, insurance rules, the way reimbursement drives behavior—but knowing didn’t make it less frustrating as a patient.
In the Netherlands, the first time I called my huisarts (general practitioner), I braced for the same ordeal. Instead, the assistant casually asked, “Can you come on this date?” (Not more then 2-3 weeks wait)
That was it. No “in-network” hunt, no urgent care workaround, no guessing game about what kind of doctor I was “allowed” to see. Here, your GP is your anchor, and everything flows through that relationship.
Inside the Office
My first Dutch appointment was almost startling in its simplicity. No paperwork marathon. No triple-checking my insurance card. Just a calm waiting room with a few magazines, and then a doctor who looked me in the eye and asked, “What’s going on?”
And then came the part that really threw me: the doctor didn’t immediately order tests or hand me a prescription. She listened, thought for a moment, and said, “Let’s wait and see. Your body will likely take care of this.”
The American in me wanted action. Tests! Scans! Pills! But the nurse in me knew what she was doing: practicing restraint, avoiding over-treatment, trusting the body. Dutch doctors lean toward minimal intervention, which at first feels like they’re not doing enough. Over time, I’ve realized it’s just a different kind of care—one that values patience as much as prescriptions.
The Bill That Never Comes
This is where the contrast is almost surreal.
In the U.S., even with insurance, a doctor’s visit sets off a chain of paperwork. “This is not a bill.” Then a bill. Then maybe another bill. Patients often delay care because of cost—I’ve seen it firsthand, and it’s heartbreaking. We were paying $1,500/month for our premium and then each had a $9,000 deductible. Then insurance would only cover a certain percentage of the visit or treatment.
Here, I pay a flat monthly premium of about €150. GP visits are fully covered. Hospital care and prescriptions apply to an annual deductible of about €385. And that’s it. No surprise charges lurking in the mailbox. No anxiety over whether an “office visit” was secretly coded as a “specialist consult.” You can even go to the physical therapist on your own without a referral and chiropractic and acupuncture treatments are covered up to a certain number of visits. The visit would then cost $40-$70 depending on the provider.
As a patient, it feels like breathing easier. As someone who has worked inside the system, I can see how that simplicity frees up doctors to focus on medicine instead of billing codes. Of course, there is pressure and issues around physician shortage in The Netherlands, but as far as I have experienced there is always a doctor available.
Since moving to The Netherlands we save at least $25,000/year on these costs AND this is without any major health issues.
Two Cultures, Two Philosophies
The difference really comes down to culture.
In the U.S., the system leans toward “do something.” More tests, more scans, more interventions. Patients expect it, and doctors are trained (and reimbursed) to deliver it.
In the Netherlands, the philosophy is “wait and see.” Fewer interventions, more trust in the body, and a focus on long-term health rather than instant answers.
Neither approach is perfect. The U.S. dazzles with technology and speed, but can leave patients buried under stress and cost. The Dutch model can feel conservative, but it delivers peace of mind and equity.
An interesting side note, the emergency system in the US is set up very different then The Netherlands. In the Netherlands, you actually have to get triaged over the phone by your GP before getting a referral to the ER and then when you show up you walk in like an appointment. There is no just showing up and getting care. Of course, if there is a real life and death emergency you are able to go and be seen immediately. NO separate ambulance or ER visit bills!
The Bottom Line
Having lived both systems—as a nurse, consultant, and patient—I’d say it comes down to this:
The U.S. often gives you more medicine.
The Netherlands gives you more healthcare.
And for me? These days, I’ll happily take the bike ride past the bakery, the simple GP visit, and the knowledge that no bill is lurking in the mailbox. Because sometimes the best prescription is not a pill, but a little peace of mind.
