Fewer than half of dentists in Belgium were still under contract with mutual insurance companies in 2024, according to statistics from the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (Inami), published on Saturday by L’Écho and De Tijd.
For the first time, a majority of dentists have opted out of the agreement, allowing them to set their own fees and charge additional costs not covered by mutual funds.
Inami reports that out of 7,869 registered and practising dentists in 2024, 3,963 rejected the latest fee agreement with mutual funds and the government. This accounts for 50.4% of the profession. In 2013, only 30% of dentists opted out, a figure similar to other medical specialists today, according to L’Écho and De Tijd.
Vincent Koningsveld, President of the Association of Flemish Dentists (VVT), and Frédéric Bettens, head of the Professional Defence department at the Dental Medicine Society, both explained that official fees have not kept pace with the rising costs of technology and running a dental practice.
Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke noted that despite this gradual withdrawal, the dental reimbursement budget has “increased by 710 million euros over the past five years”. He is calling for a reform of the fee agreement model. Negotiations for these agreements are set to begin this autumn.
