Can a hospital charge a no-show fee?

The short answer

Hospitals can charge a no-show fee, but this is only allowed if they have clearly communicated this in advance. The fee must be mentioned in the general terms and conditions that you as a patient have received. Furthermore, the amount of the fee must be reasonable and proportionate to the actual damage suffered. If the hospital has not complied with these conditions, you do not owe the fee. The fee may also not be higher than the actual costs incurred by the hospital.

What does the law say?

The possibility to charge no-show fees falls under general contract law and the rules for consumer contracts. According to the Medical Treatment Contracts Act (WGBO), all information about costs must be clearly communicated in advance. The Dutch Civil Code states that penalty clauses must be reasonable and not disproportionately high. As a consumer, you are also protected against unreasonable contractual terms under consumer law.

What should you look out for?

Pay close attention to whether you were informed in advance about the no-show fee, for example in a letter, email or on the website. Check whether the amount of the fee is reasonable - usually this is between 25 and 75 euros. Also look at the conditions: some hospitals have a minimum cancellation period of 24 hours. In case of emergencies or illness, you can often get an exception.

Example from practice

Maria received a bill of €50 from the hospital because she had not shown up for her appointment. However, she had never received any information about this fee. When she filed an objection and was able to prove that she had not been informed in advance, the fee was waived. The hospital acknowledged that it had not communicated the general terms and conditions properly. This shows how important it is for hospitals to fulfill their duty to inform.

What can you do?

If you have received a no-show fee, you can take steps to check whether it is justified.