Healthcare
HEALTHCARE / MUTUALITY HEALTH INSURANCE IN BELGIUM
Your health insurance covers the reimbursement of a large part of the medical costs such as a visit to the GP or dentist or for medical care during a hospital stay. You pay a portion of the medical costs yourself. This is called ‘remgeld’. How much this remgeld amounts to depends on your income.
Do you work in Belgium but still officially live in your home country?
Then the health insurance in your home country is still valid. Belgium covers the medical costs as long as you work here. Note: this only applies to EU workers.
Non-EU workers must always be domiciled in Belgium to be insured. As an employee, you then have to take out health insurance yourself. This is the basic insurance. Your employer can take out part of your insurance. This is the hospitalization insurance (see below).
Being affiliated with a health insurance fund is mandatory for everyone: for EU citizens and for non-EU citizens, for employees and for self-employed persons, whether you stay in Belgium for a short or long time. This also applies to your family members.
Do you no longer work in Belgium? Then your health insurance coverage also stops.
SELF-EMPLOYED
Do you work as a self-employed person and live in Belgium? Then you also need health insurance.
First, you need to register with a social insurance fund for self-employed people. There are several social insurance funds. Choose the fund that suits you best.
As proof, you will receive a document from the social insurance fund. With this document, you can register with a health insurance fund.
What is reimbursed by your health insurance?
Your health insurance covers the reimbursement of a large part of medical expenses, such as a visit to the general practitioner or dentist or for medical care during a hospital stay. You pay a portion of the medical costs yourself. This is called ‘copayment’. How much this copayment amounts to depends on your income.
Examples of what the health insurance fund covers:
Consultations with healthcare providers: general practitioner, dentist, specialist, physiotherapist, psychologist (under conditions).
Note: to be entitled to reimbursement of costs for a dental visit, you must have at least one check-up per year.Hospitalization or childbirth: medical care, stay, and procedures.
Medications: prescription medicines through the pharmacy.
Rehabilitation: such as physiotherapy or speech therapy.
Not all healthcare providers charge the same rates:
Contracted healthcare providers must adhere to the agreement with the health insurance funds that no additional fees can be charged.
Non-contracted healthcare providers may charge additional fees. This can significantly increase your medical costs. Always ask in advance whether your healthcare provider is contracted or not, so you are not faced with any surprises.
View here all health insurance funds in Genk.
NOT MANDATORY, BUT IMPORTANT! What is a hospital insurance?
If you are admitted to the hospital and receive medical care for an operation or hospitalization, the health insurance fund pays a part of the hospital bill.
A hospitalization insurance is an additional insurance that covers extra costs for hospital stays, operations, medication, and aftercare. Without hospitalization insurance, these costs can sometimes be quite high!
Every health insurance fund also offers hospitalization insurances.
Attention:
You might be covered by the hospitalization insurance provided by your employer. In that case, you do not need to take out separate hospitalization insurance yourself. Be sure to check this carefully.
Some employers allow your family members to join the hospitalization insurance through your work. This can be beneficial, but beware, because if you change jobs, your family members will also be without hospitalization insurance.
Hospitalization insurance covers, among other things:
- Single rooms: the additional costs for a private room, which your health insurance usually does not fully reimburse.
- Doctor supplements: extra fees charged by doctors on top of the official rate.
- Medical costs during hospitalization: operations, examinations, medication, and care.
Additionally, hospitalization insurance often also covers costs before and after the hospitalization, such as pre-operative tests or aftercare.
Are you from another EU country?
Are you a posted worker or self-employed and temporarily staying in Belgium? Then you remain insured for medical expenses in your home country. Your employer must request an A1 form from the social security institution in your home country. This form confirms that you remain covered under your home country's social security system during your work in Belgium.
With this A1 form and your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), you can receive medical care in Belgium, with the social security of your home country covering the costs. The Belgian mutual insurance fund will then give you an S1 form, which allows you to register for healthcare in Belgium. This document must also be registered in your home country.
You must be able to present an A1 form to the health insurance fund. You request this A1 form from the health insurance in your home country. The Belgian health insurance fund gives you an S1 form so that you can prove your entitlement to medical care in Belgium.
Are you from a non-EU country?
Do you come from a country outside the EU where you were insured against medical costs? Then you must be domiciled in Belgium to be able to be insured. You must have at least a residence right of more than 90 days to be able to join a Belgian health insurer.
This means you must have a residence card A, B, C, D, F(+) or H.
Exceptional: financial assistance through the Public Social Welfare Center (OCMW)
Are you not yet registered with a health insurance fund and in a medical emergency? Then it may be possible to receive assistance with medical costs through the Public Center for Social Welfare (OCMW). Inquire about this with your social worker or through your healthcare provider.