Your Health Cover
The Belgian social security system
Belgium has one of best health care systems in Europe. Medical care is publicly funded through the compulsory State insurance system which covers the majority of the population. Contributions to the State scheme are deducted automatically from employees salaries or collected as contributions from the self-employed.
The INAMI (National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance) manages the funds and supervises the “mutualités” (mutual insurance companies).
To have access to this State insurance, you must belong to a “mutualité” because they channel the government funding to you for partial reimbursement of medical costs, including those associated with having a baby or loss of income through incapacity.
Mutualite activities
- Compulsory insurance (assurance obligatoire): part of the Social Security system, this insurance reimburses a part of your health care expenses (doctor, medication), replaces a loss of income through incapacity.
- Complementary insurance (assurance complémentaire): this insurance offers a range of reimbursements and services on top of the compulsory insurance.
- Hospital and medical expenses insurance: this insurance covers you during a hospitalisation stay.
- Social service : the mutualités also provide counselling service for you and your family when facing important changes in your life (for example : serious sickness of one of your family members, equipment hire, legal assistance, home service help, etc)
Partenamut is a “mutualité” which do not belong to any political party. We offer a large service via a network of agencies, a Customer service, a website and an online member access.
For further details about Partenamut, visit us on www.partenamut.be.
Principles and conditions
- General principle: a person is submitted to the social security system when in a Member State only.
- Principle of the country of employment: employees pay their contributions to the social security system in the country where they work.
Depending on your country of origin :
- European Union country (European Economic Area + Switzerland).
All EU citizens (wage and salary earners, self-employed workers, retired people, civil servants, students or the non-working population) keep their social security system entitlements when they travel in the EU. Have you changed country and social security system? To qualify directly for social security without a waiting period in case of long-term sickness, you should ask for a certificate to confirm that you were insured in your previous country of residence and employment.
Origine EEA + Switzerland Working in various territories Posted worker Business traveller Cross-border worker Expat Who are they?
Employees who often work in several countries. Employees who, for a limited period (no more than two years), work in the territory of a Member State other than the Member State in whose territory they pay contributions. Employees who leave during a short stay in another country, on behalf of their employer and for a precise purpose. Employees who work and live in two different territories and generally return to their place of residence every day or at least once a week. Employees who leave their countries of origin to live and work in another country. How the social security system operates in the European Economic Area and Switzerland Should an employee often work in his/her country of residence, this is where he/she will pay his social security, otherwise in the country where he/she works the most often. As the employee carries on to be connected to his/her "original" company, he/she carries on to pay his/her social security in his/her country of origin and to qualify for it. In order to be registered in your country of work, you must ask for the E106 form to get reimbursed. The E106 must be issued by the country where you used to pay Social Security contributions. The employee carries on to be connected to the social security system in his/her country of origin and the EHIC card (carte CEAM) allows him/her to be reimbursed for urgent medical care abroad. According to the principle of the country of employment, the employee joins and benefits from the social security system in the country where he/she works. If he/she seeks to qualify for health care in his/her country of residence, he/she has to ask his/her mutualité for a specific form (E106 or BL1). He/she may then qualify for the two health protection systems. According to the principle of the country of employment, the employee joins and benefits from the social security system in the country where he/she works. The SIS (Social Information System) card is used so the employee may be reimbursed.
- Countries with a bilateral agreement
The agreements specify the rules
- For finding out in which country an employee has to pay his/her contributions.
- To transfer his/her rights to protection towards the country of employment, if necessary.
Partenamut's Business & Expat Service has got expertise to guide you through administrative procedures.
- Countries with no agreement or when the agreement does not apply
Foreign employees from a country with no agreement do not automatically qualify for the Belgian Social Security system. However, if they work, live, have their official residence in Belgium and pay no social security contributions (deducted from their revenues) they may qualify for the Social Security system as a result of paying a contribution (depending on the level of income).
