Patients should be able to go to any hospital for a CT or MRI scan at the standard rate without paying the €20-30 supplement that is often charged for such an examination, said Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke.
People who have to go to hospital for a scan often have to pay a supplement on top of the radiologist's official fee, a new study by the CM health insurance fund showed. Supplements are charged for almost two in three MRI scans and more than one in three CT scans.
"The proliferation of these supplement charges is unacceptable," Vandenbroucke said on Flemish radio on Thursday. "Even people with low incomes who benefit from extra protection within the health insurance scheme are being asked for such supplements, which is totally unacceptable."
Paid by the patient
For MRI scans, people are charged a supplement of over €30, whereas the supplement averages €20 for CT scans. The CM health insurance fund noted that people with low incomes or high health costs may find it particularly difficult to pay such fees.
"The problem is that, in certain regions, you can no longer find a hospital to go to without paying a supplement above the official rate," Vandenbroucke said. "That is really not acceptable. What I want is for patients everywhere to be able to undergo a CT scan or MRI scan at the official rates, without paying a supplement."
Many hospitals no longer employ so-called "conventioned" radiologists (those who only charge the official fee, without supplements). "As a result, the patient has to pay for those supplements and that is quite problematic for us," said CM president Luc Van Gorp.
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Additionally, patients do not choose their own radiologist; they are referred by their GP or by a specialist. Often, they do not know how much they will have to pay and whether a supplement will be charged. "We have introduced new legislation that requires hospitals to very clearly state what the fees are. We are now rolling that out," said Vandenbroucke.
He stressed that the federal budget for hospitals has increased by more than €3 billion in recent years. "We are trying to improve the financing of hospitals, but these supplements actually have nothing to do with that."
