The government worked out a number of social measures to reduce medical costs in certain situations or for certain target groups.
Enhanced reimbursement
Some people on low incomes are entitled to enhanced reimbursement (verhoogde tegemoetkoming) from the health insurance fund. As a result, you pay less for your treatment.
For whom?
You may be entitled to an enhanced reimbursement if your gross taxable family income is below a certain amount (the amount increases for each additional family member). Check the exact conditions with your health insurance fund.
People eligible are:
- Pensioners, widows and widowers, orphans, invalids
- Long-term unemployed (unemployed for at least 12 months)
- Single-parent families
- Civil servants absent for more than one year due to illness
- Disabled persons
- Persons aged 65 and over residing in Belgium
- Monastics aged 65 and over
- Persons entitled to an allowance from the heating oil fund
- Children with a recognized physical or mental incapacity of at least 66 percent
- Persons receiving one of the following benefits: living wage, guaranteed income for the elderly, income guarantee for the elderly, income replacement allowance for disabled persons, integration allowance for disabled persons, care budget for elderly persons in need of care
- Unaccompanied minor asylum seekers
- Military personnel temporarily out of service for at least one year due to illness
The enhanced reimbursement applies to both the patient and the dependents registered with the patient. Your health insurance fund will automatically inform UZ Gent if this right applies.
Annual out-of-pocket maximum
The annual out-of-pocket maximum (maximumfactuur) limits annual medical expenses to a ceiling amount. As soon as your medical expenses in a calendar year exceed this amount, your health insurance fund also reimburses the co-payment for all further care in that year.
Your health insurance fund keeps track of co-payment expenses for each family and member. The amount above the ceiling is automatically reimbursed.