Basics

Are custom earplugs covered? Health insurers and employers in 2026

Thijs Worm4 October 2026Updated 23 October 202610 min read

Hearing care professional applying blue impression material in a woman's ear for an ear impression

Basic health insurance (basisverzekering) does not cover custom earplugs as hearing protection. Of the nine health insurers we checked on 4 October 2026, only a.s.r. and Zorg en Zekerheid contribute from some of their supplementary insurance policies (aanvullende verzekering), up to a maximum of €30 to €90. Do you need hearing protection for your work? Then under the Dutch Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit) your employer must arrange it, and may not pass the costs on to you.

Below you can read, per insurer, what the 2026 policy says, with the source. After that you can read how it works with your employer and how to quickly check what you are entitled to.

No cover for hearing protection from basic health insurance

What is included in the basic package is described by Zorginstituut Nederland, the National Health Care Institute. The aids for people who are hard of hearing or deaf include items such as hearing aids, tinnitus maskers, induction loops and alarm and warning devices. Hearing protection is not among them. Insurers confirm this. Zorg en Zekerheid, for example, literally states "geen vergoeding" (no cover) for hearing protection from basic health insurance in 2026.

Note the difference with hearing aids. The earpiece of a hearing aid is sometimes also called an otoplastiek, but that falls under the rules for hearing aids. This article is about custom earplugs as hearing protection, meaning earplugs made to fit that protect your ears against loud noise. What an otoplastiek is exactly is explained in our glossary.

What do health insurers cover in 2026?

A few insurers cover hearing protection from a supplementary policy, usually up to a fixed maximum amount. Custom earplugs cost more than that maximum, so expect a contribution and not full reimbursement. Most insurers do not cover hearing protection at all. We checked this overview on 4 October 2026 on the insurers' own websites and in their policy conditions.

Insurer	Hearing protection in 2026
CZ	Not mentioned in the supplementary policies
VGZ	Not mentioned in the supplementary policies
Zilveren Kruis	No cover
Menzis	No cover, not from the supplementary policy either
DSW	Not mentioned in the supplementary policies
ONVZ	Not mentioned in the overviews of cover
a.s.r.	75% up to a maximum of €30, €60 or €90 per 2 years, depending on the supplementary policy
Zorg en Zekerheid	100% up to a maximum of €40 per calendar year with AV-Sure, AV-GeZZin or AV-Totaal
FBTO	No cover

Cover can change from year to year and the policy conditions always prevail. If you choose a new policy for 2027, check the conditions for that year again.

CZ

CZ does not mention hearing protection, earplugs or custom earplugs in the 2026 cover and conditions of the supplementary policies CZ Start, Basis, Jongeren, Plus, Top, 50+ and Gezinnen. There is no separate cover page for hearing protection on the website either. Some of those policies do include cover for the statutory personal contribution for hearing aids and their earpieces, but that is about hearing aids. Among CZ's customer benefits you will find a discount at another earplug provider. That is a discount and not cover from your policy.

Checked on 4 October 2026 in the conditions and cover of CZ (in Dutch).

VGZ

VGZ does not mention hearing protection, earplugs or custom earplugs in the 2026 insurance conditions of VGZ Aanvullend Instap, Goed, Beter and Best. They do not appear in the 2026 conditions of VGZ Werkt, VGZ Zorgt, the JongPakket and the GezinPakket either. The cover for hearing aids on the VGZ website is about hearing aids and aids for people who are hard of hearing, not about hearing protection.

Checked on 4 October 2026 in the 2026 insurance conditions of VGZ Aanvullend (in Dutch).

Zilveren Kruis

Zilveren Kruis does not cover hearing protectors, the insurer writes on its website. If you need them for your work, Zilveren Kruis refers you to your employer.

Checked on 4 October 2026 on the Zilveren Kruis page Krijg ik gehoorbeschermers vergoed? (are hearing protectors covered, in Dutch).

Menzis

Menzis lists hearing protection, such as earplugs, sleep plugs and swim plugs, on its page about care that is not covered. There is no cover from basic health insurance and none from the supplementary policy either.

Checked on 4 October 2026 on the Menzis page Geen vergoeding uit de zorgverzekering (not covered by health insurance, in Dutch).

DSW

DSW does not mention hearing protection, earplugs or custom earplugs in the 2026 overviews of cover for the supplementary policies AV-Compact, AV-Standaard, AV-Student and AV-Top, nor in the 2026 policy conditions. AV-Top does include cover for hearing aids, but that is something other than hearing protection.

Checked on 4 October 2026 in the supplementary policies of DSW (in Dutch) and the related overviews of cover.

ONVZ

ONVZ does not mention hearing protection, earplugs or custom earplugs in the 2026 overview of cover for ONVZ Vrije Keuze, nor in the one for ONVZ Bewuste Keuze. They do not appear in the general rules and cover for 2026 either. The cover for aids for hearing problems is about hearing aids and other aids for people who are hard of hearing.

Checked on 4 October 2026 in the 2026 overview of cover of ONVZ (in Dutch).

a.s.r.

a.s.r. covers earplugs as hearing protection from its supplementary insurance. You get 75% of the costs back, up to a maximum per 2 years that depends on your policy.

ZorgBewust up to a maximum of €30 per 2 years
ZorgGoed up to a maximum of €60 per 2 years
ZorgBeter up to a maximum of €60 per 2 years
ZorgBest up to a maximum of €90 per 2 years

Checked on 4 October 2026 on the a.s.r. page aanvullende verzekering (supplementary insurance, in Dutch).

Worked example

Say you have ZorgGoed from a.s.r. and choose the earplugs for general use, which cost from €179.00 with us. 75% of €179.00 is €134.25, but you get a maximum of €60 back. You then pay €119.00 yourself. Because custom earplugs last several years, the amount per year can still turn out to be reasonable. Read more in custom earplugs versus universal earplugs.

Zorg en Zekerheid

Zorg en Zekerheid covers hearing protectors once per calendar year, but not with every supplementary policy. With AV-Sure, AV-GeZZin or AV-Totaal you get 100% back up to a maximum of €40. With AV-Basis, AV-Standaard, AV-Standaard Regio, AV-GeZZin Compact, AV-Top and AV-Plus there is no cover, and there is none from basic health insurance either. According to the website, you do not need a referral and you can go to any supplier, for example a hearing centre.

Checked on 4 October 2026 in article 8.6 of the 2026 policy conditions of Zorg en Zekerheid (in Dutch) and on the page gehoorbescherming, vergoedingen 2026 (hearing protection, cover 2026, in Dutch).

FBTO

In 2026, FBTO does not cover earplugs, neither from basic health insurance nor from the supplementary modules. FBTO does offer a 10% discount on universal earplugs from another provider through a promotion.

Checked on 4 October 2026 on the FBTO page oordoppen vergoeding 2026 (earplug cover 2026, in Dutch).

How to check your own policy in five minutes

In your insurer's overview of cover, search for the Dutch words gehoorbescherming, gehoorbeschermers, oordoppen and otoplastiek.
Look at the percentage, the maximum amount and the period (per year or per two years).
Check whether you need a referral and whether there are requirements for the supplier.
Check whether the budget is shared with other types of cover.
Ask for an invoice when you pay and keep it. You need it for your claim.

Does the employer pay for custom earplugs?

Yes, if you need custom earplugs because it is too loud at your work, your employer pays for them. The Working Conditions Decree (Article 6.8) requires the employer to provide suitable, properly fitted hearing protectors when daily exposure is above 80 dB(A), or peak sound pressure is above 112 Pa. From 85 dB(A), employees must also wear them. Article 44 of the Dutch Working Conditions Act (Arbowet) says that the costs of complying with the occupational health and safety rules may not be charged to employees.

Whether it will be custom earplugs or another type of hearing protection is decided by the employer, based on the risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E). This obligation does not apply to custom earplugs you use privately, for example at a festival or for sleeping. The rules in detail, with maintenance, replacement and the hearing test, are explained in what does the Dutch Working Conditions Act say about hearing protection at work?

How to discuss it with your employer

Ask about the results of the noise measurements in the RI&E. Employees are entitled to an explanation of the measurement results.
Explain what bothers you, such as earplugs that pinch or fall out, or places where you can no longer understand your colleagues.
Point out the option of custom earplugs with a filter for each workplace. An overview is in filters in custom earplugs explained.
Forward the link to our business page. It has a calculator, and for 10 or more people we take ear impressions on site.

How does tax work for employers?

According to the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst), mandatory occupational health and safety provisions fall under the targeted exemptions of the work-related costs scheme (werkkostenregeling). Targeted exemptions are tax-free and do not count towards the discretionary margin (vrije ruimte). The exact conditions are in section 22.1.9 of the Handboek Loonheffingen (payroll taxes handbook). Discuss with your payroll department or tax adviser how this works out in your situation.

Business custom earplugs from Audibling start at €148 per person, excluding VAT. The bigger the team, the lower the price per employee. In the calculator you choose the package, filter, material and whether we take ear impressions on site, which is possible from 10 people. Want them in your company style, with your own logo from 10 pairs? See custom earplugs with a logo.

What do custom earplugs cost at Audibling?

Personal custom earplugs cost from €179.00 with us, including VAT and ear impressions, depending on the use, the material and the colour. They are made to fit in our own lab Audiform in Kilder and come with a cord, clip and storage case. All prices and extra costs are on custom earplug prices. A few examples.

Earplugs for music from €179.90
Earplugs for the office from €179.90
Earplugs for motorcycling from €184.90
Earplugs for children from €179.90

You design your earplugs in the Designlab and have impressions of your ears taken at a partner hearing centre. You book an appointment via Find a hearing centre. The ear impressions are included in the price and you pay at the hearing centre. Your custom earplugs are ready about three weeks after your ear impressions are taken. See all versions in the custom earplugs collection.

Frequently asked questions

Are custom earplugs covered by basic health insurance?

No. Hearing protection is not one of the hearing aids and devices in the basic package. Only some supplementary policies contribute.

Which health insurer covers hearing protection?

Of the insurers we checked on 4 October 2026, only a.s.r. and Zorg en Zekerheid provide cover. With a.s.r. it is 75% up to a maximum of €30, €60 or €90 per 2 years, depending on the policy. With Zorg en Zekerheid it is 100% up to a maximum of €40 per calendar year with AV-Sure, AV-GeZZin or AV-Totaal. CZ, VGZ, Zilveren Kruis, Menzis, DSW, ONVZ and FBTO do not cover it or do not mention it in their policies. Always check your own policy conditions.

Does CZ cover custom earplugs?

No, not as hearing protection. CZ's supplementary policies for 2026 do not include cover for hearing protection, earplugs or custom earplugs.

Can my employer ask me to pay part of the cost of hearing protection?

Not for hearing protection that is needed to comply with the occupational health and safety rules. Under Article 44 of the Working Conditions Act, those costs are not charged to the employee.

Do I need a referral for cover?

That differs per insurer. Zorg en Zekerheid states that you can go to any supplier without a referral. Other insurers may have other conditions, so check your policy.