Vegapolis

Som vi skrivit om tidigare lönar det sig att vara vegetarian i Nederländerna. Här är mer information om den hälsoförsäkring där vegetarianer får rabatt (och som har det extremt häftiga namnet Vegapolis). Läs mer om försäkringen här och här.

Press Release
June 28, 2007

Worlds first: special healthcare insurance for vegetarians and 'meatleavers'
Unique healthcare policy for vegetarians in the Netherlands welcomes thousandth policyholder

World's first collective health care insurance policy for vegetarians, vegans and semi-vegetarians is a resounding success. The Dutch Vega Insurance Policy is developed by Stichting PreventiePolis (promotes preventative health care and a sustainable society) and health care insurance company Agis. Since the introduction of this policy last year December, already 1,000 people have chosen for the Vega Insurance Policy.

The Vega Insurance Policy gives vegetarians, vegans and semi-vegetarians (meatleavers) the possibility to take out a collective health care policy and to make use of a large number of benefits tailored to a vegetarian lifestyle. Agis allows the policyholders to make a declaration of meat substitutes up to a certain amount of money and, furthermore, those clients enjoy a discount on multivitamin preparations. Besides that Agis takes extra trouble over providing vegetarian meals in hospitals where Agis buys care for their policyholders. Research by Agis amongst the holders of the Vega Insurance Policy and amongst people who are interested in the policy, shows a large demand for this policy. Many policyholders consider it an acknowledgement of their lifestyle. Because of its unique character, there is an interest in the Vega Insurance Policy even outside the Netherlands. The Netherlands has 700,000 vegetarians and 3.5 million semi-vegetarians. Both of these groups are very interested in joining this collective insurance policy.

The Vega Insurance Policy includes the basic health insurance policy of Agis and the additional health care insurance policies in which extra benefits for this target group are included. Within the additional insurance policies of the Vega Insurance Policy people can make an annual declaration of meat substitutes up to 25 euros. The Vega Insurance Policy also offers a large coverage for alternative medicine. The Vega Insurance Policy is a collective insurance and therefore entitles the participants to a deduction on their contribution. This is customary for a collective insurance policy.

On top of this the participants of the collective insurance policy can support the Stichting Wakker Dier (a Dutch animal welfare organisation), the Dutch Union of Vegetarians or Adopt a Chicken (an initiative to make consumers more aware of the poor living conditions of chicken on poultry farms) up to 25 euros. As a gift of welcome all participants receive a Greencard VISA that offsets free of charge and for a lifetime the CO2 gas omissions of all purchases made with this credit card.