Belgium
Healthcare in Belgium > Belgium Healthcare & Health Insurance FAQ
FAQ about Healthcare & Health Insurance in Belgium
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Dokter van wacht?
Dokter van wacht or Médecin de Garde is the doctor on call -- or doctor on duty. To reach a doctor in an emergency, call the emergency medical and ambulance service at number 100 or 112. Telephone 100 or 112 may be used for all emergencies. Ambulance services are provided at any time of the day or night and will transport the patient to the nearest hospital. An attendant accompanies the ambulance; depending on the case, a member of the family and/or doctor may accompany the patient as well. You may also call the "Doctor on Duty" ("Dokter van wacht" -"Médecin de Garde"), indicated in your local newspaper, or the closest clinic or hospital.What is a Mutuelle?
"Once you are settled in this country in a legal way, you have to be affiliate to a 'mutualite' system (aka mutuelle), and then, you will have all the benefits of the health systems here, doctors, hospitals, diagnose tests, x-rays etc," explained one expat.
If you are working in Belgium you are required to enroll in social security system, and, in doing so are paying into the public healthcare system. Public health insurance providers, called mutuelle (aka mutualite) or Ziekenfonds (Dutch), are open to all residents.
Some of Belgium's mutuelles are:
What does Médecins Traitants mean?
Médecins Traitants are primary care doctors.
"Good "médecins traitants" often don't accept new patients any more. Even in a family without any serious health problems, it pays to have one, so do invest some time in finding a good one: Ask colleagues, neighbours and so on. Belgians in general are happy to help and give advice," advised one expat.
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Good "médecins traitants" often don't accept new patients any more. Even in a family without any serious health problems, it pays to have one, so do invest some time in finding a good one: Ask collea
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