By the end of the year, Belgian hospitals should offer heavy-duty medical imaging at standard fees for patients.
The government approved a draft law which would make these rates compulsory, Public Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke announced on Wednesday.
The text will be presented to the Chamber of Representatives in the autumn and will enter into force at the end of the year, Belga News Agency reported.
People who have to go to the hospital for a scan often have to pay a supplement on top of the radiologist's official fee. Supplements are charged for almost two in three MRI scans and more than one in three CT scans, a study by the CM health insurance fund showed.
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. There are very few radiologists in Belgium who work at the standard rates, according to the study. There are nine in Flanders, 16 in Wallonia and two in Brussels.
"For a CT scan or an MRI, you have to go to the hospital. Patients have no choice. This is precisely why there must be as few financial barriers as possible so that everyone has access to adequate care and the best care when needed," Vandenbroucke said in a statement. "I think it is the task of strong public authorities to ensure this."
He also pointed out that public authorities largely fund the heavy-duty devices required for CT scans and MRIs.
The bill, which will now be submitted to the Council of State, will ensure that PET, PET-CT, SPECT-CT and PET-MRI imaging are affordable for hospital patients.
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Under the bill, standard rates should apply to medical imaging at hospitals under two conditions: that the scans take place during regular working hours or if the doctor considers that the scan is urgent.
Otherwise, supplementary pay will still be allowed for scans that take place between 18:00-06:00, during the weekend or holidays, or at the request of the patient.
