The regulation and supervision of the Belgian health insurance system takes place at federal level and the national government also transfers some funding (drawn from general taxation) to the insurance system. Thereafter the flow of services, payments and reimbursements takes place at sub-national level between independent health care providers, mutualities and patients.
The system is characterized by its heterogeneity and fragmentation. Ever since its foundation, an essential principle of the Belgian health care system has been the patient’s freedom of choice between a wide range of independent providers. Health care is therefore privately managed and delivered (mainly by a range of non-profit organizations) whilst responsibility for the funding of health care and oversight of its organization are in the public sector, and are shared out between numerous public authorities.
(Source: WHO country information 2000)
Medtech market figures 2003 (million Euro)
|
Imports
|
2567
|
|
Exports
|
3013
|
|
Total expenditure in medical technology
|
819
|
|
Expenditure in medical technology per capita
|
(EUR) 80
|
|
Number of companies
|
250
|
(Source: Eucomed Industry Profile 2003)
General information (estimation 2004)
|
Population (mio)
|
10.3
|
|
Population growth
|
0.2%
|
|
GDP (mia USD)
|
276.8
|
|
GDP growth
|
1.9 %
|
|
Budget Saldo
(% of GDP)
|
-0.2
|
Health infrastructure
|
Total expenditure on health, USD per Capita
|
2515
|
<
|
|
Total expenditure on in-patient care, % total
expenditure on health
|
34.6
|
=
|
|
Private insurance - % total expenditure on health
|
n.m.
|
|
|
Acute care beds per 1000 inhabitants
|
4.7
|
>
|
|
Acute care days
|
8
|
>
|
|
Density of physicians per 1000 inhabitants
|
3.9
|
<
|
|
Hospital discharges: all causes per 100 000 inh. (1999)
|
15431
|
<
|
|
Population 65 years old and over, % of population
|
17
|
<
|
(Source: OECD Health Data 2004)
Links:
Swiss representations:
Chambre de Commerce Suisse pour la Belgique et le Grand-Duché du Luxembourg
Natiensquare 24
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tél.: +32 (0)2 649 87 87
Fax: +32 (0)2 649 80 19
Swiss embassy
Rue de la Loi 26
Bte 9
B-1040 Bruxelles
Phone : +32 (0)2 285 43 50
Fax : +32 (0)2 230 37 81
E-mail :
Vertretung@bru.rep.admin.ch
