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Belgian health system ranked fourth-best in Europe
The Belgian healthcare system has been ranked fourth among 35 countries in Europe using 48 indicators, according to an annual report released by the Sweden-based Health Consumer Powerhouse (HCP). The high ranking is the best achieved by Belgium since the launch of the index in 2005.
Healthcare has tended to improve in Europe, according to the HCP. The decline in the infant mortality rate and the chance of survival for heart disease, stroke and cancer are on the right track. However, the report highlights the inefficiencies in financing and providing services.
"Drawing inspiration from the most efficient European healthcare systems would save money to save lives and improve the performance of many countries struggling to meet citizens' expectations," the HCP said.
The report gives each country a score, with the lowest being 333 and the highest being 1,000. For the first time since the index began in 2005, two countries - the Netherlands and Switzerland - achieved a score of more than 900. The Netherlands scored 927 and Switzerland 904. Norway followed scoring 865 with Belgium nearly tying on 860. Montenegro and Romania were at the bottom of the ranking.
Despite improvement in all national health systems in Europe, there is still a large gap between the best performing countries and the least developed countries, according to the report.
However, a country like Macedonia shows the possibilities of less-developed countries to succeed in the realm of healthcare. It has one of the highest scores in the accessibility category, but also for the most cost-effective healthcare system.
The United Kingdom is at the top of the ranking in terms of accessibility, alongside Switzerland and Macedonia. Belgium, on the other hand, ranks twelfth in terms of cost-effectiveness of healthcare.
"We are working on this, for example with the reform of the financing of hospitals," said the cabinet of public health minister Maggie De Block.
Comments
Strange that The Netherlands scores best. How come then that so much Dutch patients are seeking treatment in Belgium? Waiting times to see a specialist takes many many months in Holland!
Have info that many Dutch cancer patients look e.g. for treatment in the UZ hospital in Antwerp, where a 2014 census showed Dutch patients to be 15%. Other hospitals in Ghent and Limburg show similar figures.
We may not boast ourselves with much internationally, but allow us at least to be proud of our health system...
Sincerely, I do not know how Belgium scored 4th. This is my experience in the Brussels area, waiting times to get a decent specialist, for example, at Saint Luc, it takes an average of 2-3 months. For my experience, with ear specialist, knee specialist or even to get a dentist that is not an student.
On top of this if you only have a mutuelle (Partena in my case), be prepared to pay a lot because mutuelles do not cover 100% of the treatment. A few examples:
Eye doctor - 60 euros Partena paid 26.01
Ear doctor with audition test 46.86 euros Partena paid 8.58
Family doctor specialist 60 euros Partena paid 18.48 (make sure you go to what they call a conventioneé doctor)
Fortunately, we have a complimentary private insurer, DKV, which pays 90% of what Partena does not.
Belgium health care system is obsolete and expensive. Belgians pay the highest income tax in the entire European Community, 55%, I wonder what the government does with all that money but for sure it is not reflected on the Health Care System.