This insightful report explores how healthcare services are financed and reimbursed, the roles of key institutions and regulators, and the impact of recent reforms aimed at modernising the system. It also addresses how Belgium responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, the evolution of telemedicine, and the challenges of balancing cost control with quality care.
Key topics covered in the survey:
- Public-private healthcare model: both sectors operate under shared rules, offering comparable services with therapeutic freedom.
- Legal foundations: anchored by the Coordinated Law of 1994, supported by royal and ministerial decrees.
- Regulatory landscape: includes NIHDI, FPS Health, mutual insurance funds and regional governments.
- COVID-19 impact: temporary measures introduced, including telemedicine reimbursement and emergency funding.
- Access to care: nearly universal coverage through compulsory insurance, with support for vulnerable groups.
- Hospital and outpatient financing: dual funding models and fee-for-service structures.
- Pharmaceuticals and medical devices: reimbursement based on therapeutic value, with structured pricing mechanisms.
- Recent reforms:
- Modernisation of the nomenclature for reimbursable medical services.
- Streamlined medicine reimbursement procedures with faster access and patient involvement.
- Hospital network restructuring to improve efficiency and concentrate specialised care.
