Blood test without a GP referral
In the Netherlands you are allowed to order blood work yourself and pay for it yourself. What you take on is choosing the markers, covering the cost, and getting the result explained.
The huisarts, your GP, is the gatekeeper in the Dutch system. That works well when you have symptoms pointing at a condition. It works less well when you simply want to know where you stand, because without a medical indication there is no basis to order anything.
That is not obstruction. GPs work to guidelines built for detecting disease, not for tracking healthy people. Wanting your ferritin because your recovery feels off falls outside those guidelines. So you order it yourself.
What that means in practice
- You choose the markers, from a panel or assembled individually.
- You pay yourself. Preventive testing without a medical indication is not covered by basic insurance.
- You receive the result directly, with an explanation per value.
- If something is off you still see your GP, now with a result in hand, which makes the conversation concrete.
Not sure where to start?
Message what you want to know or what you are running into. Mario will think along about which markers make sense and which you can skip. That costs nothing.
Book your blood test now. Reachable Monday to Saturday, 08:00 to 18:00.
The two existing routes, and what is wrong with each
The finger-prick kit posted to your door
You lance your own finger and squeeze drops into a tube. It works for a limited set of assays. It goes wrong when you get too little blood, squeeze too hard and damage cells, or the sample spends too long in transit.
The collection point you travel to, fasting, early
Reliable as a draw, but you have to get there. Fasting, early, often with a wait. And if you want hormones drawn before 10:00, that is exactly the busiest window.
What sits in between
A venous draw like the collection point, but at your home. You do not prick yourself and you do not travel. See the at-home page.
What it costs
* All prices apply to a blood draw at your home within the A10 ring. One fixed price, everything included: a BIG-registered nurse who draws your blood at home, the materials, the analysis by a recognised laboratory and a report you understand. Live outside it? Then the price is on request: WhatsApp your postcode and what you want tested.
What is and is not reimbursed, and how your deductible fits in, is on the costs page.
Commonly chosen panels
Frequently asked questions
Am I allowed to order blood tests myself in the Netherlands?
Yes.
You order as a private individual and pay directly. What you do not get is a diagnosis, for which you see a doctor.
Why will my GP not order certain values?
Because without symptoms there is no medical indication.
Dutch GP guidelines aim at detecting disease. Markers like ApoB, Lp(a) or fasting insulin are usually not part of them, even where they are useful for prevention.
Does my GP receive the results too?
Only if you want that.
You receive the result and decide what to do with it. You can forward or bring the report to your GP.
Is this the same blood work as at a hospital?
Yes, the same venous draw and the same kind of laboratory.
The draw is a venipuncture from the arm. Analysis happens at a recognised medical laboratory that holds the required certifications.
Is this covered by insurance?
No, not by the basic insurance.
Preventive testing without a medical indication is excluded. Some supplementary policies reimburse part of it under prevention or health check. Check your policy.
What if something comes back abnormal?
You are advised to take it to your GP.
The report states per value whether it warrants a doctor looking at it. Mario Test does not diagnose and does not prescribe.
Note: a blood test gives you insight and direction. It does not prove or rule out a condition on its own. Results are meant for prevention and for tracking change over time, not as a diagnosis. For symptoms or values outside the reference range, see your GP.