Ninety thousand people postponed necessary medical or dental care for financial reasons | Health

The share that had to postpone or postpone medical care or dental care for financial reasons was highest among the unemployed in 2023 (8 percent). They are followed by renters (6 percent) and singles (4 percent).

In Belgium, 2 percent of the population over the age of 16 postponed medical care last year, and 6 percent postponed dental care. The shares are again lower in the Flemish Region than in the other Belgian regions. In the Flemish Region, less than 1 percent of the population aged 16 years and older postponed medical care. In the Walloon and Brussels Regions it was 3 percent each time. For dental care, the share of postponement or cancellation was 4 percent in the Flemish Region, 9 percent in the Walloon Region and 5 percent in the Brussels Region.

The Support Center for the Combating of Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion notes that in recent years a number of instruments have been developed within healthcare to increase the affordability of care for people with an increased risk of poverty or insecurity. For example, there is the Increased Reimbursement (VT) and the third-party payment scheme, where the patient only pays the co-payment.

Any healthcare provider can apply the third-party payment scheme, but it is only mandatory in specific cases. For example, the GP must apply the scheme for patients with a VT. For dentists it is only mandatory for certain treatments. In other cases, the risk remains that people with a low income will have to forego medical care because they cannot advance the repayable part.