Thousands of Belgians pay too much for doctor's visit

Several hundred thousand Belgians qualify to pay lower fees at the doctor, pharmacy and hospital, but are not aware of it, often paying three times too much, writes Het Laatste Nieuws.

High medical costs have been cited by many families in Belgium as an important reason to postpone a visit to the general practitioner or dentist. The Belgian health insurance funds have therefore begun to actively seek out those families with a lower income, to make them aware that they are eligible for an additional reimbursement of their medical costs. "We get some help from the Belgian treasury, but we've also started going door to door," explains the socialist health insurance fund Bond Moyson.

In addition, as of 1 October all physicians are required to apply the third-party payer system for patients with a low income. The system requires that the patient pay only a deductible for the consultation, instead of the full amount followed by a reimbursement several days later.