Compare hospitalisation insurances

Hospitalisation insurance is a supplementary insurance that protects you and your family against medical costs if someone needs to be admitted to the hospital due to illness, accident, or childbirth.

Your hospitalisation insurance can help cover the costs of the hospital stay, whether it is a short day hospitalisation or a longer admission. In most cases, costs for prior care and follow-up treatment are also partially or fully covered. The purpose of hospitalisation insurance is, without a doubt, to avoid unpleasant financial surprises.

In principle, hospitalisation insurance is relevant for everyone. However, it is always advisable to check whether you already have such insurance through your employer before taking the initiative to take out this coverage.

Everyone living and working in Belgium as an employee, self-employed person, civil servant, job seeker, or beneficiary of an allowance is required to register with a health insurance fund or the ‘hulpkas’.

The statutory health insurance you receive does not cover all medical costs. Because costs can be high, it is recommended to take out supplementary hospitalisation insurance to optimally protect yourself and your family.

This insurance reimburses the portion of costs not covered by statutory health insurance. Any reimbursement from hospitalisation insurance only occurs after statutory health insurance has first provided coverage.

The difference between health insurance and hospitalisation insurance is that hospitalisation insurance is not mandatory in Belgium. However, having it is recommended. No one can oblige you to take out hospitalisation insurance.

Given the potentially high medical costs associated with a hospital admission, treatment, or medical procedure, good hospitalisation insurance is certainly not a luxury item. Sometimes costs can run into the thousands of euros, while statutory insurance only reimburses a portion, potentially resulting in financial strain.

Statutory health insurance does not cover all medical costs. Hospitalisation insurance is a voluntary supplement that reimburses medical costs after the health insurance fund has provided first coverage.

Hospitalisation insurance offers a solution for the remaining costs that are borne personally and that have the potential to be high. Depending on the terms and conditions, hospitalisation insurance may cover different types of costs. Usually, this is a combination of:

• Hospitalisation costs: Costs incurred during the hospital stay and listed on the hospital invoice, such as accommodation fees, room supplements, doctors’ fees, medical materials, medication and examination costs, transport, etc.
• Outpatient costs: Costs related to pre- and post-treatment care. These are not included on the hospital invoice. For example, costs for purchasing medications or a physiotherapy visit.
• Costs for serious illnesses: Most hospitalisation insurance policies cover costs for treatment related to serious illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, etc. Not every policy covers the same illnesses, so it is recommended to compare carefully.

The amount reimbursed is contractually determined per parameter. Always read your hospitalisation insurance contract carefully, and use our comparison tool to evaluate policies.

Hospitalisation insurance can be taken out through a health insurance fund or a private insurance company.

If you choose a policy via a health insurance fund, you must take it out with the fund where you are already registered for statutory health insurance.

If you want to subscribe to a plan from another health insurance fund anyway, you will also need to switch your fund membership. In that case, always compare the additional member benefits offered carefully, as they may be different at the new fund.

If at a later moment, you decide to switch funds again, be aware that your hospitalisation insurance with the previous fund will find an end.

For private insurance, this does not apply, and your coverage continues uninterrupted. Coverage through a private insurer can always be taken out according to your preferences.

Each provider offers different plans, usually ranging from “standard” to “more comprehensive” coverage. Use our comparison tool to find the plan that best suits you and your family.

Although it is often suggested that the quality of hospitalisation insurance offered by private insurers is higher, this needs to be nuanced. Health insurance funds also offer plans that provide a solid alternative in terms of coverage.

Premiums are often lower with health insurance funds because they do not have to pay intermediaries, but that is not the whole story. Typically, funds focus more on covering costs for a shared room and less on covering costs associated with a single room. These specific single room costs are the ones that can make bills very high.

If you prefer to always be admitted to a single room, private insurance plans may better meet your expectations. Of course, this usually comes with higher premiums to cover the additional costs specific to this room choice.

Hospitalisation insurance primarily covers the insured. A contract can always be extended to include other family members, which affects the premium.

Within the same contract, cohabiting partners (married or not), dependent children, or partner’s children can be included.

The market for hospitalisation insurance shows significant differences in coverage, which also results in significant price differences.

The cost of hospitalisation insurance depends on two factors: the premium, which is the amount you pay monthly or annually for your coverage, and the exemption (also called “franchise”), which is the amount you must pay personally before the insurer starts reimbursing.

Premium

The main elements determining the premium are: age (the younger, the lower), extent of coverage (more coverage equals higher cost), region (hospital and regional surcharges are not uniform), and the existence of a pre-existing condition.

Premiums change over time. Usually, there is an increase per age category, and premiums are also indexed annually.

Exemption

The premium also varies depending on the exemption, i.e., the part of costs the insured still has to pay.

Many health insurance funds apply an exemption if you want to stay in a single room. Some private insurers allow you to choose at the start of the contract whether an exemption applies and, if so, how high it is. No or a low exemption naturally makes the premium higher.

The type of room determines the hospital stay cost and, consequently, the hospitalisation insurance premium.

Hospitalisation insurance is recommended if you prefer a single room, because in that case, both room and doctors’ fee supplements will apply.

Room supplements vary by hospital, and sometimes even within the same hospital depending on the hospital unit.

Doctors’ fee supplements are additional fees charged by doctors on top of the official RIZIV tariff. The official tariff consists of the co-payment which you are responsible for, and an amount covered by statutory health insurance. A 200% supplement means a doctor charges three times the official tariff.

In Brussels, supplements are highest, sometimes up to four times the RIZIV rate or more. In Flanders, the lowest supplements are found, and Wallonia falls in between.

If you choose a shared room, hospitalisation insurance can still be useful—not for room or doctor fee supplements, but for products and services not reimbursed by RIZIV. However, the risk of an unpleasant surprise after a shared-room stay is relatively low.

Some hospitals and insurers have agreements allowing insured individuals to benefit from a “third-party payment system.”

In this case, the insured does not receive the full invoice. The insurer pays the hospital directly, and you only have to pay the invoice for the exemption and any uncovered costs.

Without such arrangements, the full invoice must be paid to the hospital before you can submit a reimbursement claim to your insurer.

The best hospitalisation insurance depends on your situation, age, health, and personal preferences. Preferences for a health insurance fund or private insurer, preference for a single room, and the presence of pre-existing conditions can all play a role. Price is, of course, also a key factor.

Provide your preferences in our hospitalisation insurance comparison tool and compare the plans that could suit your needs in terms of coverage and price.

Without hospitalisation insurance, statutory health insurance covers part of your medical costs. Costs not covered must be paid personally. Medical costs reimbursed by statutory insurance are automatically deducted from your hospital bill.