Deferred healthcare insurance

Have you reached a certain age and paid contributions for 16 years? In that case, you can be reimbursed for medical care without having to pay for the basic package or the supplementary insurance policy for Medical care.

This deferred insurance also covers your dependants, provided they are recognised as dependent by the Overseas Social Security. For more information, please consult the page Deferred insurance for medical care persons that can be recognized as your dependant.

Please note: it is possible that the amount that you are reimbursed under your supplementary insurance for medical care is more advantageous to you than the one under the deferred insurance. The deferred insurance applies the rates of the Belgian health insurance funds.

Conditions

In order to enjoy the deferred healthcare insurance, you must:

• Have made contributions for at least 16 years;
• Have reached a minimum age, depending on the duration of the contributions:
  • 57 years old for 16 years of contributions,
  • 56 years old for 18 years of contributions,
  • 55 years old for 20 years of contributions, and so on, with a limit of 50 years old for 30 years of contributions.
• Not be eligible for similar advantages from another Belgian or foreign insurance policy for medical care,
• Submit an application for the deferred insurance policy for medical care, and
• For nationals from countries outside the EEA or Switzerland: reside within the European Union (with the exception of Denmark), unless you are the surviving spouse of a national of an EEA member state or Switzerland.

To learn more about the applying conditions to benefit from this specific insurance, please consult the page Deferred insurance for medical care: conditions and reimbursement.

Registration with a Belgian health insurance fund

Do you live in Belgium or in another state of the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom? In that case, you must be a member of a Belgian health insurance fund or the HZIV (Auxiliary fund for sickness and invalidity insurance). The Overseas Social Security provides you with a certificate for registration with a health insurance fund of your choice, or with the HZIV.

In the event of death

If you die while you are affiliated with the Overseas Social Security, your surviving family members benefit from the deferred insurance policy for medical care. This is on condition that their medical care is not yet covered by another Belgian or foreign insurance policy. The insurance also applies if you were not yet retired or old enough to retire.

If you die as a result of an illness, then your family members are insured if you have paid contributions during the 12 months preceding the month in which you die. If you die following an accident, this period of 12 months does not apply.

How do you apply for an intervention?

You apply for your right to healthcare reimbursement in writing, by letter or by e-mail. You will then be informed in writing of your right to be reimbursed. This written confirmation means that you can claim reimbursements of healthcare you have received since your application.

Please bear the following in mind:

• A spouse or cohabiting partner on whose behalf you are applying must live at the same address as you. (There are several legal exceptions for the spouse).
• The deferred insurance policy for medical care cannot be combined with reimbursements that you receive from your supplementary insurance policy for Medical care. If you have a supplementary insurance policy, you have to choose between the two.

To learn more about the reimbursement of medical care in light if this insurance, please consult the page Deferred insurance for medical care: conditions and reimbursement.