Health insurance in Belgium for refugees, how to get

Life and health insurance is a prerequisite for living in Belgium for refugees. You can order a policy only after the CPAS decision, but until then you will have the opportunity to get help. In this article, we will help you figure out how to get health insurance in Belgium, what conditions must be met, what is included in the cost of services.

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Types of health insurance in Belgium

Regardless of your current status, the Belgian Center for Social Assistance will provide assistance for treatment, mandatory procedures, and diagnostics. This is called emergency care, it is given to all refugees who are officially in the country, but without formalized status. It is issued regardless of medical insurance, or the current situation with the documents. You get access to the country’s healthcare system. The same applies to all members of your family.

After issuing a certificate of temporary protection, Annex 15 or an “A” type certificate, you can get one of the types of health insurance in Belgium for immigrants:

• R equisitoire. One-time ticket to visit a doctor or free medicines. It is valid only 1 time, often issued for emergency medical care.
• Medical card. Its duration is from several days to several months. Most often, it is issued for long-term treatment, accurate diagnosis of the disease. You can get medicine from it.
• Identification form of Mediprim. It is valid on a permanent basis, gives the right to visit hospitals, issue prescriptions, purchase or receive medicines, prescribe special procedures.

For refugees and immigrants, health insurance in Belgium is free. However, it does not include all procedures and services. There are restrictions on visits to dentists, all cosmetic services. This must be taken into account before making an appointment with a doctor. The policy will not cover these costs, you will need to pay for the services separately.

Important: in addition to standard medical insurance in Belgium, you can get an individual one. But you will need to pay for it yourself.

Help for refugees

The healthcare system in the country is well developed. Here you will be provided with the required minimum under the policy. It is recommended to translate your medical history into one of the official Belgian languages so that doctors can make a correct diagnosis or prescribe the best course of treatment. The alternative is to translate into English.

Getting Medical Care

Depending on your current health condition, you can make an appointment on a convenient day for you or use an emergency medical service. In the first case, you need to choose a hospital that is located in the area of \u200b\u200bresidence, find out if there are doctors of the necessary specialty there. At the reception, present one of the types of health insurance that CPAS will issue you. Then they will appoint the day and time of visiting the attending physician.

If health troubles occurred on a weekend, holidays or late at night, you can call the doctor on duty. Depending on the disease, this may be a general practitioner, dentist or pharmacist. By phone, you need to tell the general symptoms, indicate which medications you took before, underwent procedures. Depending on this information, the doctor will decide whether to hospitalize or arrange home treatment. All these cases are included in the Medical insurance, and will not be paid by you.

Tip: before hospitalization, collect a minimum of things – clothes, shoes. Food in Belgian hospitals is free.

Purchase of medicines

In addition to medical care under the policy, you can issue prescriptions for medicines. Most of the drugs in Belgian pharmacies are issued only on prescription. This applies to antibiotics, strong remedies, special medicines. This approach minimizes the risks of self-treatment, reduces the danger when the patient can harm himself. Therefore, when crossing the Belgian border, the types of medicines that refugees bring with them are especially controlled.

Tips for registering medicines in Belgium for health insurance:

• Tell your doctor what medicine you have taken before. It is recommended to take the packaging and instructions for use with you.
• If you have not taken the drug for a long time, you should consult your doctor. Perhaps there have been changes in health, it is necessary to make a new diagnosis.
• In addition to standard medicines, the doctor can prescribe an analogue. It differs in shape, color and packaging.

Some drugs are included in the course of psychological recovery. This is relevant for refugees from Ukraine, countries with an unfavorable situation. They are also prescribed by a doctor, it is not recommended to choose drugs on your own – sedatives, antidepressants. This can worsen your physical and psychological health.

Tip: buy medicines only in official pharmacies of the country. Otherwise, health problems are possible, this one will not fall under the insured event under the medical policy.

Features of vaccination

Belgium has a vaccination program against the most serious diseases. For refugees and immigrants, vaccination courses are free. They can be prescribed even without medical insurance. Vaccines are always available in hospitals, you can sign up for the procedure on any convenient day. However, you must provide a record of vaccinations so that the doctor determines the need for a particular vaccination.

In addition to standard vaccines in Belgian hospitals, you can take a course of protection against COVID-19. Centers operate in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. You need to make an appointment in advance, provide information to the doctor, have you completed the first or second course of vaccination against COVID-19. It is advisable to have a certificate describing the vaccine that you have been injected with. This will help avoid side effects of the procedure.

Where should refugees go?

Refugees can apply for health insurance in Belgium at the nearest CPAS office. This requires a minimum set of identity documents. Particular attention is paid to medical care for children and people with disabilities. Separate treatment and rehabilitation programs are drawn up for them.

You can call the doctor in the following ways:

• Call 1733 in Flanders
• Visit http://www.mediwacht.be/mdwonline/publiek/wachtdiensten/Zoek.aspx and follow the simple registration procedure with the municipality of Flanders.
• In Wallonia, go to https://www.health.belgium.be/fr/sante/organisation-des-soins-de-sante.
• For medical assistance in Brussels call 02 513 02 02 or register at www.sosmedecins.be.

You can use emergency ambulance if your health condition is critical. Calling an ambulance is included in the cost of health insurance in Belgium. The exception is a false call. you will pay for it yourself.