The premiums people pay for hospitalisation insurance will rise next year due to indexation. While young people will feel a small increase, some elderly people will be hit by a rise of almost 14%.
Joining a health insurance fund ('mutualité' in French and 'ziekenfonds' in Dutch) is mandatory in Belgium. It covers people's basic medical costs. On top of this insurance, more than eight in 10 Belgians have additional hospitalisation insurance.
This supplementary insurance covers medical expenses resulting from hospitalisation due to illness, accident or childbirth. It can be taken out either with a private insurer or with the health insurance fund which people signed up with for the basic coverage.
Hospitalisation insurance premiums can be indexed every year in Belgium based on the so-called medical index, which reflects changes in health costs. This ensures that insurers are covered against rising health costs due to an ageing population, the rise in chronic health conditions and medical advances, among others.
By how much will policies increase?
In 2025, policies covering the cost of hospital admission in a single room can be indexed by 13.36% based on the medical index, but this percentage differs based on groups. Over-65s, who are more likely to end up in hospital, may see their premium increase by 13.84%, but 20- to 34-year-olds will see a "limited" rise of around 5%.
For hospitalisation insurance policies that cover stays in a two- or multi-person room, the medical index allows an indexation of 7.09% on average. People over the age of 65 are hit the hardest in this segment too: the maximum premium increase for them is 9.72%.
However, not all insurance companies will be adjusting their rates by the maximum indexation permitted by law. For example, DKV confirmed to De Standaard that it will only index its premiums based on the consumer price index (3.74%) "where possible". Ethias customers will see their premiums rise by 8% (single room) or 3.2% (double or multiple room) next year. The Christian Mutuality (CM) is increasing its CM Hospital Plan and its Mediko Plan by 3.74% in 2025
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More and more families in Belgium also have dental care and outpatient expenses insurance (which covers medical procedures not linked to hospitalisation). These will increase by an average of 2.72% and 6.47%, respectively. Unlike hospitalisation care, the younger population groups face higher price hikes for dental insurance: for the under-19 age group, costs will rise by 9%.
