Healthcare

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Healthcare should heal, not provide more stress

Money worries are the last thing your employees need to be worrying about when they’re dealing with long-term health issues.

By choosing to open a group healthcare policy, you can give your team the financial peace of mind that comes from knowing that if they’re unable to work due to illness or injury, they’ll have a financial safety net in place that lets them focus on what matters: getting better.

Statutory benefits

The Belgian healthcare system is renowned as one the best in Europe. The citizens are obligated to affiliate themselves to the state funded health insurance, also known as the ‘Social Security Fund’, once they meet one of the following criteria:

The year he/she turns 26.
Younger than 25 and working.
Receiving an unemployment benefit.

There are multiple social security funds available. The five largest being the Neutral, Socialistic, Liberal, Independent and Christian. All Funds are under strict supervision of the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (NIHDI).

Should a person not want to affiliate to one of the above, he/she can always subscribe to the CAAMI-HZIV, which is an entity that managed by the Belgian government.

The duties of the Social Security Funds consist of a variety of services, but mainly focusses on the reimbursements of the healthcare costs, payment of disability benefits, annuities during pregnancy leave and at home care for the elderly.

The reimbursement ceiling are generally defined by the NIHDI, but every fund can differentiate and provide supplemental coverage for certain costs. Each of them having their own focus. For instance dental care for children or support after the birth of a child.

With medical costs climbing year after year, the state intervention tends to be insufficient to shield families from skyrocketing healthcare bills.

In-patient

It is common for the employer to set-up a collective hospitalisation policy. This insurance is complementary to the mandatory social security fund for the employee. All reimbursements are made on-top of the legal intervention.

This coverage is commonly offered to all employees with mandatory enrolment. The employee can often opt to affiliate their partner and dependent children on their own expense.

The insurance intervenes for:

Hospitalisation in Belgium & Abroad
Out-Patient cost related to the hospitalisation
(1 or 2 months before/ 3 or 6 months after)
+- 30 Critical Illnesses
Assistance upon hospitalisation

The policy can include a deductible, which may or not differentiate between a single room and a common room.

Most insurance providers work with a system for Third Party Payment, allowing the insurer to pay the invoice directly to the hospital. This sets aside the need of advancing the hospital invoice by the employee.

The main healthcare insurers all provide an online tool, which simplifies the reimbursement procedures for the employees.

The premiums are not fiscally deductible for the employer, but there are no social contributions applicable.

Out-patient

For general out-patient costs that are not related to any hospitalisation, most people only benefit from the intervention of their social security fund. These reimbursements rarely cover the full costs and are often lacking compared to the extent of medical and paramedical fees invoiced by medical practitioners. The employer can subscribe an additional policy, on-top of the inpatient plan, to cover these and other expenses.

In the Out-Patient policy the employee receives an annual budget to cover all ambulatory costs that are not related to any hospitalisation. This insurance is one of the more tangible policies, due to the extent and usability in the employee’s daily life.

The insurance intervenes for:

✓ General Out–Patient costs
✓ Dental Care
✓ Optical Prostheses

Wellbeing Programs

Howden Belgium is partnered with several wellbeing program providers. These organisations offer emotional, practical and physical support outside of the workplace.

A comprehensive, holistic, employee wellbeing program can assist your teams when personal, workplace, or family issues negatively impact their wellbeing or productivity.

The extent of the service can be tailor made based on the client’s needs.

Why work with a broker?

Our healthcare insurance broker services are designed with your best interests in mind.

We’re here to give impartial, unbiased advice that can help you:

Identify the insurers that are best suited to back your plan
Negotiate the best possible terms, so your plan remains cost-effective
Ensure your plan meets all legal and regulatory requirements
Pinpoint and avoid potential implementation problems

And always to use our expertise and experience on your behalf, to make implementing a new healthcare plan as simple and worry-free as possible.

Why Howden?

Howden Belgium is a valued part of the wider Howden Broking Group, the largest independent insurance broker based outside the US. We can call on the skills and expertise of more than 15,000+ employees working across more than 50 countries.

We combine global reach and resource with expert local knowledge, giving you the best of both worlds.

Expat Insurance

Corporate health insurance solutions for expatriate employees. These solutions specialize in helping your employees worldwide with their healthcare needs round-the-clock. Useability and ease are at the center of the coverage.

Meet the team

Annemieke Schepers

Executive Director, Employee Benefits

Jessica Prevot

Account Manager, Employee Benefits

Wendy Van Asbroeck