Legal assistance with dual health insurance

Questioner

We moved from Spain to the Netherlands on October 24, 2013. In Spain we had private health insurance and insurance through the State. I called the private insurance in Spain to tell them that we were moving to the Netherlands and would apply for insurance there. They assured me that I would be insured with them until this was arranged. In the Netherlands we applied to an insurance company to register ourselves with additional insurance. On 19 December 2013 we received a message from their director that they were processing our application and that "Attention, you are not yet insured with us". On 4 January we received a message from the Dutch insurance company that we were insured with them. We also received an invoice for the period from 24-10-2013 to 31-12-2013. I called to say that I did not agree with this. I had to send them the details of the Spanish insurance company and I did so. It states that we were insured with them until the end of 2013 and that we also had to pay for 2014, because we had not given notice a month in advance. (2014 was cancelled in Spain) Then I was told that we had to fill out a questionnaire. When we finally received that questionnaire (which also took some doing) I filled it out and returned it. I was told that they could not reach our insurance company in Spain so that we had to pay anyway. After calling back and forth several times, we suddenly received a message that we had been thrown out of the supplementary insurance, because we had not paid the premium for 2013. We called back and forth several times again and they said that they would look into it further, but the supplementary insurance was no longer included. Eventually we suddenly received a message from a bailiff (this was about 2 months ago) that we had to pay the premium for 2013 within a week. I called the bailiff and they said that I had to file a written objection with the health insurer. I did this. Last week I was told that my objection had been rejected. Today there is another letter from the bailiff stating that I have to pay before December 1st (that is today). After spending some time on the phone with someone from the bailiff's office, I have a week's extension to file another objection. I was also told that I cannot switch to another health insurer as long as this is still ongoing. My question to you is: Can this just happen, because this is 1 Europe? Can I do something about this?

Lawyer

From the date you are registered in the Netherlands, you are obliged to be insured for healthcare, regardless of whether you are insured in another country or not. This can only be different if you receive benefits from the Dutch State and you must register in your country of residence by means of a treaty.

Questioner

How is it possible that they first say on December 19 that we are not yet insured with them and that we did not have approval from the first day of application? Now we have to pay for 2 insurances, because the NL insurer does not respond quickly enough. Can we do anything about this?

Lawyer

Your Dutch insurer reacts strangely, you are obliged to be insured in the Netherlands as soon as you register, then you are also liable for premiums. Why this insurer checks the data from Spain I do not know either, but it is not relevant legally.