Quick Overview of Health insurance

Belgium offers a Public Health care system of high-quality for everybody, with free choice of doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, etc...

Here is a quick summary of how your medical costs will be covered while in Belgium :

The social security contributions you pay give you the right to a "basic" medical coverage provided by Belgian authorities. This means that you will recover a (significant) portion of your doctors' bill , dentists' bills, medicines bills, hospitalization costs from the Belgian government.

The Mutuelle will act as “paying agent” on behalf of Belgian government to reimburse (part of) these medical expenses.

You will therefore have to register to the Mutuelle of your choice when you arrive in Belgium to obtain these "basic" reimbursements.

ISB offers 2 supplementary and private medical insurances that come on top of the basic medical coverage obtained from the Belgian government:

• An hospitalization insurance with AG – fully paid by ISB for you and your family

• An MDO (Medical Dental Optical /Ambucare insurance with AG – paid by ISB for you (option to cover your family members for a fee).

These 2 private insurances will provide an additional reimbursement that will come on top of the reimbursements done by the Mutuelle.

The Mutuelle will also be responsible for the payment of disability allowances in case of long-term absences.

Finally, for your information, please note that Mutuelles propose (on top of their main activity of paying agent for the basic medical reimbursements) :

• Extra services, which are mandatory and for which a fee needs to be paid

These extra services vary from one Mutuelle to another, please consult their website of you wish. As examples, some Mutuelles propose extra reimbursements for vaccination costs or a financial intervention in sport club subscriptions. 

These are called the “cotisations complémentaires” and amount to +/-  € 12 per month and per titular 

i.e. if your spouse works, he/she is also a titular and will also need to pay this contribution personally). Children do not pay.

• Complementary hospitalization or dental insurances, which are optional. Please keep in mind that you are already covered through the AG hospitalization and Ambucare insurances paid by ISB. So these insurances proposed by the Mutuelle are not really necessary in your case, but you are of course free to subscribe for one if you wish.

Hospitalization Insurance paid by ISB (AG):

Cover of all medical costs resulting from a hospitalization of at least one night that is medically necessary following an accident, sickness, pregnancy or childbirth.

One-Day Clinic is also covered as long as there is approved as state qualified. Cover of out-patient costs in direct relation to the hospitalization from two months before until six months after the hospitalization. Cover of all out-patient costs related to 30 critical illnesses

Limits to the insurer’s intervention

Hospitalization - pre and post – critical illnesses: unlimited

Deductibles

Hospitalization - pre and post – the deductible amounts to 250€ per year per insured only if you prefer to stay in a SINGLE room.

There is no deductible for out-patient costs for critical illnesses.

Ambulatory Insurance  paid by ISB (AG)

(not applicable for interns & workers):

This insurance provides with an additional reimbursement for doctor's bill and medicines bill, that will come on top of what the Mutuelle already reimburse.

ISB pays for the affiliation of the employees only to the ambulatory insurance. You have however the option to affiliate your family members against the payment of a small contribution.  Dependents can be covered by the employee at her/his own expense at a cost of 39.96€/month for the spouse/partner and 12.73€/month per child.

Dental care : 100% reimbursement (after the Mutuelle’s compensation) of out-patient costs for dental treatments, bridges, crowns, implants and orthodontic treatments, for as long as they are prescribed by a doctor or a dentist.

Optical costs: Reimbursement for contact lenses and frames (maximum 85€/year per insured for the frame) and of glasses (100% after Mutuelle’s compensation) as they are prescribed by a doctor or an ophthalmologist.

Limits to the insurer’s intervention

Out-patient costs: limited to 2.500€/year/insured

Deductible - Ceilings

Maximum refund: 2,500.00€ per annum from September 1 to August 31.
There is a general deductible of 75.00€ per annum per person.
The maximum refund for the eyeglass frame per insured, per policy year is limited to 85.00€ 

Health & Travel Assistance Insurance 

This coverage extension is optional.  You can choose to participate. If you do so, the cost per annum is € 104 per family and € 76 for single people. 

This coverage includes the reimbursement of medical costs incurred outside Belgium, as a result of an illness or accident. There is no limit in the payment after the mutuelle’s reimbursements. Please note that repatriation costs, search & rescue, assistance, etc. are also included. 

You can also choose to cover your family (spouse/partner and dependant children) for the same price. Please note that “dependant children” means children living with their parents in Belgium and fiscally dependant (registered at the commune). 

The school has a comprehensive supplementary insurance program for all its employees.

Note - It does not cover theft of personal belongings. Employees’ cars on the school’s parking lot are covered by their owner’s private insurance policy.

Work & personal accident insurance

This insurance reimburses medical expenses incurred and provides with the payment of fixed indemnities in the event of bodily injury resulting from an accident occurring either during the course of professional activities (in addition to the mandatory cover provided by ISB’s professional indemnity insurance) or during private life. 

Public liability insurance

This insurance cover provides for the public liability incumbent upon the members of faculty & staff resulting from bodily injuries and property damage to pupils, staff and third parties in the course of professional activities. Generally, the level of compensation is established by a court of law in cases where public liability comes into play.  This cover is also in effect during field trips. 

Illness and disability insurance

In the event of sickness or accident entailing permanent or long-term disability of any member of the school staff, this insurance provides for a disability pension until age 67, which amounts to about 70% of gross salary after inclusion of Belgian Social Security payments.