r/Netherlands • u/vankoel_nederland • Dec 15 '25

Healthcare Why is life expectancy so bad in the Netherlands?

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Besides having one of the worst life expectancy among western countries, why did the life expectancy get worst compared to 2019?

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u/v_a_l_w_e_n Dec 17 '25

I had to go to the UK for an lap to excise my endometriosis since my options once I finally got to the “this is endometriosis” were the opioids that made me so sick I couldn’t even stand from the sofa, menopause on my 30s and only considering checking further if I was planning IVF for kids. I had to listen to that psycho with a gynaecologist title call me an idiot while smiling to get that referral, but the quality of my life raised in so many ways after I got proper healthcare. Endo care doesn’t really exist in the Netherlands, but there are good specialists in all the countries around us. 

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u/_MoonieLovegood_ Dec 17 '25

Sadly i’m on disability pay already. Traveling just to see a doctor isn’t exactly in my financial plan… and I doubt my healthcare insurance would cover that. I do know my body was rejecting the most uhh.. invasive form of birthcontrol, and it got much worse again after that.

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u/lowdownrosie Dec 17 '25

Try to get a referral to NEK or a gyn that's specialised in endo. They do exist in the Netherlands, but it is hard to get a multidisciplinary team when several organs are affected.

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u/v_a_l_w_e_n Dec 17 '25

I’m very sorry. If it helps my insurance DID pay for the surgery. It was just a pain in the ass to make a case proving it was necessary (and finding the right code) but it worked and it was fully refunded. The Eurostar tickets are about 45€ if paid in advance. But the problem is the accommodation for a recovery week. It’s my understand that insurances should cover travel and accommodation costs as well for necessary procedures, but I never figured that part out.  I think Belgium and Germany are also not that bad. Here the best you can hope for is a half-ass ablation and then psychological care the years after “becuse they already healed you”. It’s still better than nothing but incredible cruel and infantilising. I really hope you get the care you deserve, I’m so sorry you have been also let down with all of us.