Do you experience medical problems when you travel abroad? Your health insurance fund will then ensure that you are repatriated home if necessary, if that is better for your recovery. However, if you are affiliated with the Auxiliary Fund for Sickness and Disability Insurance, you will not benefit from this service.
Anyone who works as an employee, civil servant or self-employed person or who is registered as a job seeker with the VDAB (Flanders), Actiris (Brussels) or Forem (Wallonia) and has completed their professional integration period, must register with a health insurance fund. The same applies to those who are still studying or doing an internship and are over 25 years old.
Registration with a health insurance fund or with the Auxiliary Fund for Sickness and Disability Insurance (HZIV) ensures that you are compliant with social security. You will then be entitled to reimbursement of part of your medical costs.
You can choose which health insurance fund you join. In our country you can choose between a Christian health insurance fund, a socialist health insurance fund and a neutral health insurance fund. If you work for the railways, you can join the HR Rail health insurance fund. In exchange for the payment of a membership fee, in addition to the reimbursement of part of your medical costs, you are entitled to a number of additional benefits, which may differ per fund.
Tip: Here you will find the list of health insurance funds in our country and the benefits they offer to their members
If you prefer not to choose one of these funds, you can still contact the Auxiliary Fund for Sickness and Disability Insurance. This is a state institution that offers you the same reimbursement of medical costs. The advantage is that you do not pay a membership fee. The disadvantage is that you are not entitled to any additional benefits. At the end of last year, the organization had 143,958 registered participants.
Traveling
The (partial) reimbursement of medical costs does not only apply in Belgium and this applies to both those who are affiliated with a traditional health insurance fund and those who opted for the HZIV. You are also insured if you travel within Europe. After all, anyone who has a valid connection is entitled to the European Insurance Card. This equates you to the insured persons of the country of residence. Please note: the card is only valid if you are traveling or as part of a training course. Anyone who goes abroad specifically to receive care cannot use them.
For those who are affiliated with a traditional health insurance fund, medical assistance from Mutas is added. This is a telephone exchange that can provide medical information 24/7, make appointments with local doctors and contact your family if necessary. She can also take care of repatriation.
Anyone who is affiliated with the HZIV does not benefit from this intervention from Mutas. If he or she needs repatriation, the person concerned must organize this themselves. The alternative is to take out private travel insurance, which includes this repatriation.
Travel insurance can also be useful for others. The health insurance card or Mutas do not intervene in the event of a car breakdown abroad. The same applies to destinations outside the European Economic Area.
Tip: Here you will find some travel insurance policies
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