Compare health insurance Belgium

A health insurance fund, also known as a mutual health insurance fund, is an organization that reimburses medical expenses. A health insurance fund arranges reimbursement for doctor, dental, and pharmacy bills, and thus provides what is referred to as ‘mandatory health insurance’.

Every health insurance fund performs this task in the same way. Reimbursements are funded by the government from tax revenue, and everyone is entitled to them. Health insurance funds are essentially responsible for the practical organisation of reimbursements for medical expenses and benefits resulting from illness, pregnancy, or accidents. In Flanders, your health insurance fund is also responsible for collecting the mandatory health insurance premium or ‘zorgpremie’.

The exact medical expenses reimbursed, and your personal contribution, are determined by the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance, or NIDHI for short. This government agency acts as the driving force behind Belgian health insurance and social security.

The legal core mission of a health insurance fund is to partially or fully reimburse medical expenses incurred through doctors, dentists,pharmacies,... as part of the mandatory health insurance system. These reimbursements are provided in the same way by all health insurance funds. Membership of a health insurance fund requires an annual fee.

Because the legally mandated health insurance doesn't cover all medical expenses, health insurance funds offer additional benefits to members beyond the standard reimbursements. These benefits take on various forms: discounts on lenses, reimbursement for orthodontics, special conditions for children's activities… These additional benefits vary from fund to fund.

We map out in detail the additional benefits for you so that you can easily choose the health insurance fund with the benefits that best suit your situation.

There's also a free alternative to health insurance funds, namely the Hulpkas (CAAMI – HZIV). Those who join this fund are also entitled to statutory reimbursement for medical care, but the Hulpkas doesn't offer any additional benefits.

In addition to statutory reimbursement and additional benefits, you can also contact the health insurance fund for extra insurances such as hospitalisation insurance or dental insurance in exchange for a premium. These include extra reimbursements for hospitalisation costs or additional reimbursements for dental costs. Not only health insurance funds offer these types of extra insurances; private insurers such as DKV, AG Insurance, and Ethias also offer such coverage.

Anyone who lives and works in Belgium as an employee, self-employed person or civil servant, or who is looking for work or receives benefits, is required to register with a health insurance fund or the Hulpkas (CAAMI – HZIV).

You decide which health insurance fund you join, and there's no waiting period to become a member of a health insurance fund. You can remain dependent on your parents until you are 25 years old, as long as you are studying or have little or no income. From the age of 25 onwards, you can no longer be dependent, a health insurance fund will usually contact you at that point to register you as a member. This is a good time to consider whether the benefits offered by that particular health insurance fund meet your needs.

If you don't enroll yourself, there's no penalty, but there is a risk in the event of illness or accident. You will not receive reimbursement for medical expenses or health benefits. You will then be fully responsible for any medical expenses. The government may eventually automatically enroll you in the Hulpkas (CAAMI – HZIV), but in the meantime, you will not be insured.

In Flanders, the annual contribution for health insurance in 2025 averaged €110.4. In Wallonia, that figure was significantly higher, at an average of €148.3.

In Flanders, the mandatory health insurance premium or ‘zorgpremie’ of approximately €60 per year fuels the so-called Flemish social security system. Certain additional benefits offered by health insurance funds in Flanders are covered by this budget. The health insurance premium system does not exist in Wallonia, so health insurance funds in Flanders have to finance less through membership fees than health insurance funds in Wallonia.

The difference is also due to differences in the additional benefits offered. In Wallonia, higher reimbursements for membership benefits are more often chosen, resulting in higher costs and therefore higher membership fees.

As a Brussels resident, you have the choice to join a Flemish or Walloon health insurance fund, as Brussels is officially bilingual and geographically located between Flanders and Wallonia.

You can also not be a member of a health insurance fund, but then you must join the Hulpkas (CAAMI - HZIV), which legally insures you without additional benefits.

Mutual health insurance funds in Belgium are organized within national unions. These are umbrella organizations that unite a philosophy or belief.

There are four national unions: Christian, Socialist, Liberal, and Neutral. The auxiliary fund (Hulpkas) and the railway fund are not considered national unions.

The largest national union is the Christian national union where the Christelijke Mutualiteit (CM) is the largest health insurance fund in Belgium, counting just over 4.6 million members in 2025.

The Socialist national union is the second largest in the country with just over 3.3 million Solidaris members. 2.9 million people are affiliated with the Neutral national union through the health insurance funds: Partenamut, Helan Onafhankelijk Ziekenfonds, Vlaams & Neutraal Ziekenfonds (VNZ), Neutraal Ziekenfonds Vlaanderen (NZVL), La Mutualité Neutre and Mutualia.

The Liberal national union has just over half a million members within the liberal health insurance funds, including Liberale Mutualiteit Oost-Vlaanderen, Liberale Mutualiteit Plus en Liberale mutualiteit MUTPLUS.be, Mutualité Libérale Hainaut-Namur en Mutualité Libérale Liège – Luxembourg.

There's no difference in reimbursements within the legally mandated insurance (INAMI/RIZIV), but there are significant differences when it comes to additional benefits and extra insurances. The best health insurance fund depends on your interests and is therefore personal and different for everyone.

Each stage of life brings different needs. For example, during pregnancy, it's helpful to compare the various maternity benefits offered by health insurance funds to determine which one offers the best deal. Or perhaps you need psychological support? All health insurance funds offer some form of assistance in this regard, but the differences in reimbursement can be significant depending on the duration or nature of the treatment.

Whatever your situation, our online simulator will help you to easily assess the value of the additional benefits that health insurance funds offer based on your preferences and the needs of your family.

Also for extra insurances such as hospitalisation insurances, we will help you achieve a transparent comparison.

Switching health insurance funds can be beneficial if the member benefits at another health insurance fund are a better fit with your priorities. It is possible that, for a comparable annual fee, you can obtain benefits that better meet your needs.

Switching health insurance funds is easy and free. Simply contact the health insurance fund you wish to join, and they will arrange the transfer with your current fund.

Arranging a transfer can be done at the office, but increasingly also completely online. The easiest way to contact a health insurance fund is through our benefits simulator.

Switching to a different health insurance fund is always possible if three conditions are met. You must have been a member of your current health insurance fund for at least one year, your contributions to the compulsory health insurance must be paid, and there must be no outstanding balance with the health insurance fund that you are leaving.

You can request a transfer at any time. Please note that the actual transfer takes place at the beginning of each new trimester (January 1, April 1, July 1, or October 1), and that the administrative process for arranging the transfer can take up to four weeks to complete. You will pay your new annual membership fee to your new health insurance fund from the moment the transfer is effective.

Switching health insurance providers is also possible during pregnancy or illness. Keep the same switching times in mind at the beginning of each trimester. There's usually no waiting period. If new benefits are available, please inquire to confirm that there is indeed no waiting period.

You remain insured during the switch from one health insurance fund to another, and you retain your statutory health insurance rights. However, you will only be entitled to the supplementary member benefits of your new health insurance fund once the switch is fully completed.