Patients in Belgian hospitals paid almost €1.6 billion in supplementary hospital fees in 2024, according to new figures. Nearly half of this (€760 million) came from extra charges by doctors.
In Belgium, patients may be charged a supplementary fee on top of the base cost of a treatment or appointment.
According to data from the Intermutualist Agency’s Hospital Barometer,patients spent €1.59 billion on hospital stays and day treatments last year, up 5.8 per cent% on 2023. These extra fees can only be billed if a patient chooses a private room.
The fees rose much faster than health insurance payments (up 5.6 %) and standard patient co-payments (up 1.5 %). The sharpest rise came from doctors’ extra fees, which increased by 9.1 % despite a government freeze.
The increase is striking because fees were officially frozen between 2022 and the end of 2024, although some exceptions were allowed. Eleven hospitals also raised their maximum rates. On average, doctors charged 112.6 % on top of the basic tariff in 2024, up from 107.4 % in 2022. In some hospitals, fees reach 300 % extra.
'Urgent regulation' needed
Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke said the figures proved urgent regulation is needed. A small group of 10 % of doctors account for 43 % of all extra fees, which he called "unfair and confusing" for patients.
The government plans to cap these charges. Doctors’ organisations and health insurers have been given until mid-2027 to present their own plan. If no agreement is reached, the government will enforce the caps starting in early 2028.
The gap between patients is large. A stay in a private room costs €2,778 on average, eight times more than a shared room. Nearly 100,000 stays last year cost patients over €3,000 euros, and 7,500 stays cost more than €10,000 euros.
Vandenbroucke warned against the possibility of shifting towards a US-style healthcare system reliant on private insurance. He emphasised Belgium’s commitment to solidarity-based healthcare that avoids exclusion and inequality.
