What does a consultation or admission cost? We are pleased to give you some more information.
Health insurance funds make agreements with doctors about the price of consultations. There are 3 possibilities:
1. NIHDI-contracted or affiliated doctors
These doctors keep to the official price set by the NIHDI and they are not allowed to charge fee supplements. However, deviations are allowed in case of admission in a single room.
2. Non-NIHDI-contracted or non-affiliated doctors
These doctors do not accept the agreement with the health insurance funds and can set their fees freely.
3. Partially NIHDI-contracted doctors
These doctors agree with the health insurance funds, but they only keep to the official price at certain times or places. At other times or places, an additional fee may be charged on top of the official price.
You can find the NIHDI status of our doctors on the doctors' page.
Within our hospital, the General Rules state that hospitalised patients must always be treated according to the NIHDI rates, with the exception of a single room where a maximum 150% supplement may be charged. All doctors are thus equal for the hospitalised patients in our hospital. The difference lies in outpatient care where the non-NIHDI-contracted doctors can freely set their fees.
We aim to provide a clear picture of the costs of your hospital stay in advance. Do you want an indication about what your admission will cost? The price simulator will show you the various rates for a number of frequently occurring procedures. These are indications only, which may be influenced by prolonged stay, complications... (the estimate is based on invoices from the previous year). The estimated amounts are the amounts to be paid by the patient (i.e. your personal share after intervention from the health insurance fund).
If you have any questions, please contact the billing department.
Tel. 057 35 65 36 (from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 16:00)
Email: facturatie@yperman.net
If something is not clear on the invoice, if you are looking for a copy or a price estimate, if you would prefer to pay in instalments: patients could already find the answers over the phone and via the website, but now there is a physical location too, in the small room to the left of the reception desk. This way, we can offer the best possible help for people who might not be as digitally confident or those who would prefer to speak to someone in person.
Christel Crombez is available every working day from 8.30 until 12.00 and from 13.00 until 16.00. There is no need to make an appointment.
You will receive the hospital bill within 6 weeks after the end of the month of discharge. This bill is called the “patient invoice” and is prepared according to a legally defined system.
The invoice will not only state your own share of the costs, but also the share paid by your health insurance fund (assuming that your affiliation is in order). The amount aid by the health insurance fund for your treatment is shown for information purposes only. It will be settled directly with your health insurance fund. If your affairs with the health insurance fund are not in order, you will have to pay everything yourself.
You have to pay the invoice within the period stipulated in the terms of payment by means of the transfer form that is sent to you.
Remember that you additional allowances may apply through your healthcare insurance and/or the supplementary insurance of your health insurance fund. In some healthcare insurance schemes, the patient invoice is settled directly with the insurance company.
However, please note that both healthcare insurance and work accident insurance do not cover all costs. Inquire about this at the billing department and/or insurance company.
The Belgian health insurance provides that the hospital has the right to ask for an advance payment. These advances are determined by law.
An advance payment may be requested if the patient is unable to provide a guarantee of payment (health insurance fund, European Health Insurance Card, OCMW guarantee declaration, etc.), if it concerns a non-reimbursable intervention (aesthetic or non-aesthetic) for which a price has been agreed in advance, or if invoices from a previous admission have not yet been paid. The amount of the deposit also depends on your choice of room. The advance payment should preferably be made by bank transfer at the time of your registration with the admitting department. The advance payment will be deducted from your final invoice.
The nursing day rate is a flat rate that covers part of the cost of the hospital stay and care. The health insurance fund pays most of the nursing day rate, but it is provided by law that the patient must pay a legally determined personal share, regardless of room choice. This personal share varies depending on the duration of the stay and your status as an insured person (entitled to an increased allowance, unemployed, with dependants, etc.).
Medicines, doctor's fees and personal costs such as drinks, telephone... are not included and are charged separately.
Room supplement
If you have opted for a single room upon admission, a room supplement will apply per day. For a double room there is no room supplement.
Special rates apply for paediatrics and maternity.
The room supplement does not apply if you have to stay in a single room for health reasons (e.g. if you are admitted to intensive care or to the emergency room, or if you are admitted in a single room due to the unavailability of double rooms, etc.)
Lump sum for medicines
By law, a lump sum per day is charged to the patient as a share of reimbursable medicines, regardless of whether they are administered. The rest of the price is paid by the health insurance fund.
(Para-)Pharmaceutical products
These products are partially or fully at the expense of the patient.
If you have an agreement with the advisory doctor of your health insurance fund for certain medicines you are taking at home, bring this certificate with you when you are admitted. This way, you remain entitled to the reimbursement of those medicines during your stay.
Products from hospital pharmacies that are not medicines also fall under this heading. Such products are usually not reusable for hygienic reasons. You pay for them, but you can take them home (such as lip cream, shampoo, compression stockings, plaster cast shoe, etc.).
A limited number of implants are fully covered by health insurance. Most implants and prostheses are partially covered by the health insurance. You pay your own share of the materials provided. However, some implants and/or prostheses are entirely at the expense of the patient.
Non-implantable medical devices include endoscopy and visceral synthesis materials. This material is used, for example, in keyhole surgery and as a specific suture material. The health insurance does not always intervene for reimbursement.
These items are listed on the hospital invoice as ‘reimbursable products’ and ‘non-reimbursable products’.
Furthermore, the hospital is entitled to apply a dispensation margin, legally set at 10%, with a maximum of €148.74.
For clinical biology (lab tests), medical imaging (radiology), specific technical services and the medical on-call service, you pay a fixed amount per admission, even if these services do not apply to you.
The fees are the remuneration that doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, midwives, speech therapists, etc. charge for their services. For most services, there is a commitment rate (= the rate agreed between the doctors and the health insurance funds).
Your health insurance fund can cover all, part or none of the fees. The reimbursement depends on the nature of the service.
If you are staying in a single room at your own request, the doctors-specialists (fund doctor or not)* may charge a supplementary fee (max. 150%). This is sometimes, but certainly not always, reimbursed by your health insurance fund or private healthcare insurance. Ask your doctor, health insurance fund and insurer about this in advance.
You can find out whether a doctor is, is not, or partially, a NIHDI-contracted doctor* on the doctors' pages.
In the case of an outpatient invoice, the non-HIHDI-contracted doctor may deviate from the tariff established in advance with the NIHDI.
This is not allowed for a hospitalisation invoice. In that case, supplements can only be charged if you opt for a single room, whether your doctor is a fund doctor or not.
* NIHDI-contracted or affiliated doctors are those who have signed the convention between the health insurance funds and doctors and who therefore have to respect by the rates set by the NIHDI. However, deviations are allowed in case of admission in a single room. Non-NIHDI-contracted or non-affiliated doctors are those who have not signed this and are therefore free to set their own fees. Within our hospital, the General Rules state that hospitalised patients must always be treated at the NIHDI rates, with the exception of a single room where a maximum 150% supplement may be charged. All doctors are therefore equal for the hospitalised patients in our hospital. The difference lies in outpatient care where the non-fund doctors can freely determine their fees.
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This section includes refers to deliveries of blood, blood plasma, plaster casts, etc. Some items are fully covered by the health insurance fund, others are partially or fully payable by the patient.
This section includes costs for urgent and non-urgent transport.
For these costs no intervention from the health insurance fund applies (e.g. hairdresser, chiropodist, telephone, etc.).
A list of frequently applied various costs is available here.
In this section the VAT is mentioned.
