Health insurance
In Belgium, people have a health insurance. If you are ill, the health insurance fund pays a large part of the medical expenses. If you cannot work due to illness or an accident, you will receive financial compensation to replace your wages.
As an asylum seeker in Belgium Fedasil will pay most of your medical expenses. However if you, as an asylum seeker, have a paid job under an employment contract, you can also join a health insurance fund of your choice.
If you are recognised as a refugee, you must join a recognised health insurance fund of your choice. If you do not want to join a health insurance fund, you can join the government health agency CAAMI-HZIV for free.
What does a health insurance fund do for you?
A health insurance fund (or 'mutuality')
• covers medical expenses
• pays financial benefits if you are unable to work due to an illness or an accident
• pays financial benefits during maternity leave (after childbirth)
• organises home care services (help for children and elderly people)
• lends medical equipment for home care of the sick.
How much does health insurance cost?
If you join, you have to pay a fixed annual contribution (between €100 and €120). For children or other dependants, health insurance is free.
What health insurance funds are there?
Christian health fund, Liberal health fund, Socialist health fund, Independent health fund, Neutral health fund. On the website of the RIZIV/INAMI, you can find an overview of all health insurance funds.
Health agency CAAMI-HZIV
The agency for health and disability insurance CAAMI-HZIV is a government health agency. This means that the health agency provides its services to everyone, regardless of your medical, economical, cultural or philosophical background. You can join the health agency CAAMI-HZIV for free.
Fedasil works with CAAMI-HZIV to pay medical expenses of asylum seekers in Belgium.
Co-payment
If you are a member of a health insurance fund of your choice, you will have to pay the co-payment when you consult a healthcare provider, or buy medicine at the pharmacy. The co-payment for a consultation with the general practitioner (GP) is between 1 and 4 euros.
If you are an asylum seeker then you can ask Fedasil to refund the co-payment. For some treatments or medicines in a hospital, the doctor may also charge supplements.
How to reclaim co-payment from Fedasil?
- You should ask for the BVAC certificate from the pharmacy or the invoice from the healthcare provider. You provide this document together with a proof of payment (a copy of the bank transfer) to Fedasil.
- If you are not staying in a reception centre, send your personal details (national number or OV/SP number), the BVAC certificate and the request for payment to the Fedasil Medical Costs Unit
- By mail: medic@fedasil.be
- By post: Fedasil Medical Costs Unit , Rue Chartreux 21 - 1000 Brussels
- If you are staying in a reception centre, give the BVAC certificate or invoice and proof of payment to the reception centre's medical service.
- Fedasil will then reimburse the co-payment to your account or to a third-party account with the account holder's authorisation.