Healthcare in the Netherlands is differentiated along three dimensions (1) level (2) physical versus mental and (3) short term versus long term care.

The three levels indicate how a patient is referred throughout the system. The first level is the level where people go to with health issues. This consists of mainly Huisartsen (U.S.: physicians / U.K.: general practitioners; lit.: home doctors), often organised in "huisartsenposten" ((acute) GP/primary medical centers) to ensure 24/7 availability, and emergency rooms ("SpoedEisende Hulp / SEH") at hospitals. These first level caretakers can refer patient to specialised care, at hospital, extramural or long term care. Without such referral access to second level care public healthcare centers, and under most health insurance schemes is generally not possible. For specialised care patients can be referred to third level care - either by first level or second level practitioners. Third level care consists of highly specialised care such as nuclear treatment. Third level care is generally embedded in University Hospitals.

From 2012 to 2020, health care spending declined from 10.9 percent to 10.5 percent of GDP.

From 1941 to 2006, there were separate public and private systems of short-term health insurance. The public insurance system was implemented by non-profit health funds, and financed by premiums taken directly out of the wages (together with income taxes). Everyone earning less than a certain threshold qualified for the public insurance system, while anyone with income over that threshold was obliged to have private insurance instead. About two-thirds of the country's residents were covered under the health fund, while the remaining third had private health insurance. With increasing healthcare costs this system was no longer sustainable. Patrick Jeurissen, a professor at Radboud University Nijmegen was quoted in Vox as saying "The old system had really hit a wall" due to rising costs.

In 2006, a new system of health care insurance plan was implemented, based on risk equalization through a risk equalization pool. A compulsory insurance basic package is available to all citizens. Dutch residents who do not enrol for insurance are automatically signed up for a basic insurance package and charged additional rates of 20% on top of voluntary tariffs. Insurance companies have to accept everyone applying to this package and are not allowed to differentiate or assess health risk of individuals when setting price levels. Health insurers receive compensation for high risk individuals from the government, and government subsidies pay about 75% of insurance costs. Most insurance companies operate as not for profits. As of January 2020, the average annual insurance premium was about 1,400 Euro. Payments can be either direct or a refund of costs made with a healthcare service contracted by the insurance company. The basic package requires patients to pay the first €385 annually themselves. Individuals can choose for a higher initial personal payment (up to €885) for a discount. Basic care such as first appointments with the family doctor, flu vaccinations are exempted from personal payment to ensure everyone can access such basic care.

The Netherlands has a network of 160 acute primary care centres, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, making an open clinic within easy reach for most people. Acute primary care is offered by a combination of 121 general practice health centers, that are open outside office hours, and a total of 94 medical emergency units with surgery facilities, of which 90 are at hospital locations, open 24/7. In 71 cases general practice services and emergency rooms are found in one hospital location, bringing the total number of locations where acute care is offered to 160. Analysis by the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment showed that 99.8 percent of the people can be transported to an emergency unit / casualty ward, or a hospital offering emergency obstetrics within 45 minutes in 2015.

For acute medical questions outside one's home doctor's office hours, a general doctors health practice can be called by phone, and advice will be given by the doctor and their assistant. If the issue seems to be urgent, the caller will be advised to come to the practice, and if necessary referred to an emergency room for more serious treatment. For severe medical emergencies, the Netherlands uses 112 to call an ambulance.

As measured in defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day the Netherlands had a very low rate of consumption of antibiotics in 2015 with a rate of 9.8.