Representatives of medical doctors and health insurance funds in Belgium finalised the proposal for a new pricing agreement in the early hours of Thursday, following intensive negotiations.
The two-year agreement includes updated provisions on the standard fees charged by doctors who charge official rates.
The Flemish association of general practitioners, Domus Medica, described the discussions as challenging, while the Christian insurer (MC) noted the difficult budgetary context.
The socialist insurer Solidaris was the only organisation not to support the agreement.
Under the new deal, reimbursements for consultations and home visits will be indexed by 2.72%. Maaike Van Overloop, president of Domus Medica, clarified that patients’ co-payments will remain unchanged for now, despite the Federal Government's plans to increase these amounts.
General practitioners will also receive a flat-rate allowance to cover administrative tasks outside patient consultations, such as phone calls, document completion, and liaising with other doctors. This allowance replaces the discontinued reimbursement for telephone consultations earlier this year.
Van Overloop stated that this allowance would be financed temporarily using funds previously allocated for in-practice assistance that had not yet been used.
The agreement includes provisions for reimbursing remote care services, with dedicated funding set aside for first-line care. It also emphasises prevention efforts by incorporating them into patients’ global medical records.
Doctors still need to decide whether to accept the convention. If fewer than 60% agree, the agreement will need to be renegotiated.
“This agreement is crucial for patients,” said Elise Derroitte, vice-president of the Christian Mutuality. “It offers tariff certainty when consulting a conventioned doctor.”
The Belgian Association of Medical Trade Unions (Absym) praised the agreement, stating it safeguards key aspects like full fee indexation, future investments in general and specialised medicine, tariff protection for patients, and safeguards against unilateral restrictions on fee surcharges.
Absym highlighted its role in preventing government measures that could have been harmful, citing the context of economic constraints and dual budget savings totalling €212 million.
