The big picture
In Belgium, health insurance falls under the umbrella of social security. Meaning that if you pay into social security you can benefit from the aids and reimbursements a health insurance fund (or HIF for short) can offer. Everyone who is employed is automatically paying into the social security system via their monthly paycheck.
Everyone over the age of 25 has to sign up with a public health insurance fund. This also applies to the under-25s if they are working or receiving benefits. Children do not have to pay membership fees.
The health insurance fund then (partly) reimburses your medical costs, for example the fee for a visit to your GP (general practitioner or family doctor) and the purchase of prescription medicines. (i.e. you pay the fee yourself up front and then you receive some, normally most, of the money back after making a claim with your health insurance fund.) Those reimbursements are regulated by law and are therefore the same for all public health insurance funds.
Who has access to health care?
Everyone who lives and/or works in Belgium is obliged by law to enroll in a health insurance fund as either a beneficiary (‘rechthebbende’) or a dependent (‘persoon ten laste’). A beneficiary is someone who is working/studying and registered in Belgium and a dependent is non-working (a spouse, partner, child or live-in grand-parent).
If you are an employee with benefits in another EU country or Switzerland, you will be covered during this period. Make sure you have your EHIC-card (European Health Insurance card).
How to choose a Health Insurance Fund (HIF)?
You have free choice of whichHIF you would like to join. Depending on what your needs are, how much you would like to pay and which benefits/additional services you would like can help you narrow down your choice. There are 2 types of fund
- National federations of subsidised insurance funds (there are 5)
- Monthly contribution is required
- Provided additional services and benefits
- Government insurance fund (there is only 1) called HZIV
- Free
- NO additional services and benefits (minimum services only required...)
Now that you have 6 choices of HIF how can you narrow it down? Depending on your family compositions, your desired benefits, and whether you want to pay a monthly contribution or now will help you decide.
We can highly suggest that you use the HIF comparison tool to find the HIF that fits your needs. (Unfortunately it is only in Dutch or French, but that's where online translation tools will come in handy!)
Top tip: The most popular HIFs with internationals are CM and helan because each of them have English websites.
Want to read more about if your HIF is a good value for your money? Check out this article.
What your HIF can do for you
After you subscribe to an HIF and pay your monthly contribution you are officially a member of that HIF, congratulations! Now your HIF will cover/reimburse some of your medical costs (such as consultations, medication, hospitalisations, etc.) and pay your replacement income in event of illness, accident or pregnancy.
Top tip!: Not all HIFs offer the same benefits. Once you choose and HIF you can look around on their website, or the comparison tool linked above) to find out what kind of benefits you can receive. For example some HIFs offer a reimbursement of your sports club membership fee, or maybe they will offer you 25€ a year to use for a spa/wellness treatment. Make sure to take a look to not miss out on some nice advantages!
If you visit a special or your GP and need to pay full price for that visit, then afterwards you can submit the receipt of your visit to your HIF and they will reimburse you for some of the costs. Sometimes you can do this online or sometimes you need to mail or drop off your receipts.
Hospitalization Insurance
Hospitalization insurance is a supplemental insurance you can add with your basic plan at your HIF. Long story short this supplement will provide you with extra benefits in case you are hospitalized (for example a private room instead of being in a shared 2-person room).
In case of serious diseases you can get some additional coverage as well. (For example Physical therapy and extra care related to your sickness.)
Some companies will pay for your hospitalization insurance as part of your employment package. So check with your HR to see if you have this included in your employment package.
Helpful Dutch vocabulary
- ziekenfonds or mutualiteit = HIF or Health Insurance Fund
- hospitalisatieverzekering = hospitalization insurance
Other helpful links and resources
- HIF comparison tool
- Health services: Belgian health ministry: https://www.health.belgium.be/
- Health insurance companies (Dutch and French only): http://www.riziv.fgov.be/nl/professionals/andere-professionals/ziekenfonds/Paginas/contacteer-ziekenfondsen.aspx#.WehvDMtMRD8
- Health insurance funds with English websites: CM and Helan (previously Partena)