I learned something new this week and would like to share it.

Health insurance funds in Belgium charge monthly or annual membership fees in exchange for reimbursement of medical costs and additional benefits. The basic reimbursement of medical costs is laid down by law and is the same for every health insurance fund. Health insurance funds have a politically oriented name and color, but that no longer has any meaning today. The distinction is made in the **extra benefits**, and you can do good business there.

In Belgium, there are 75 000 requests to change a health insurance fund every year (less than 0,01% of the population). The biggest reason people are members of a particular health insurance fund today is because their parents are members too. Depending on your personal situation, comparing can therefore pay off.

The application must be submitted to the new health insurance fund and will be converted automatically. Changing health insurance fund has 3 rules:

1. Changes can be made at the beginning of each trimester: January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1.
2. Application must be received before the 5th of the month prior to the change: December 5, March 5, June 5 and September 5.
3. You can only change after 12 months of being a member of your current health insurance fund.

For someone like me (26M) the refund for a sports subscription is very interesting (CM: 15 euros/year – LM: 45 euros/year). In the near future, with newborn children, these benefits will be especially important (LM+: 1100 euros in vouchers and cash per newborn child). Especially if both parents are members, the benefits are counted twice. If you do not want any of the additional benefits, there is also a health insurance fund that has a 0 euros/year membership fee (Hulpkas voor ziekte- en invaliditeitsverzekering).

Comparing health insurance funds depends on the family situation and region, you can easily compare at https://www.spaargids.be/sparen/ziekenfondsen-comparison.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1vSZBhDuARIsAKZlijT9a-hx8zAod06h0ByhIZtX3\_gsRIjec1UwIsCop %2F

I hope this helps and that someone can save some money.

5 comments

  2. I just found out my current mutualiteit pays a lot more back for dental than I thought. Tnx.

  3. For those of us that are single. Go to HZIV, it’s completely free. I don’t pay anything. I do have DKV through my job though.

  5. Well, I exactly am at the point where I am no longer a student, which means using my mother’s mutuality is no longer going to be free. If I understood all of that correctly.

    Now I am unsure what happens for the transition period here, though.

    Anyway, this post is an insanely good timing for me. Thank you!

    ​

    Edit: well, looking at it, it seems like not changing actually is the best option. Seems like nobody wants to refund psychological followup.

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