Belgium’s health care is one of to the best in Europe. Everyone who lives and/or works in Belgium is obliged to join a health insurance fund. In exchange for paying your social security contributions, you are insured against risks in case of illness, accidents, hospitalisation,….
On this page you can download more information in different languages.
If you have any further questions or if you want more information on particular subjects, you can contact the CM office in your area or let us know with this electronic form.
CM is the biggest health insurance fund in Belgium and plays a triple role:
CM: healthcare insurance in a nutshell
Pharmacists, hospitals and certain health care providers can consult your health insurance data online via your national insurance number. This number is mentioned on your electronic identity card (eID). Because of that, they will ask you for your electronic identity card.
Are you ill? In that case, you’d best pay a visit to a doctor. He or she can advise or treat you or, if necessary, redirect you to a specialist. You pay a fee to the doctor and you get a certificate in return for the health care provided. This enables you to be partially reimbursed by CM (at the latest until two years after the date on which the care has been provided).
Put a yellow sticker on the certificate and return it to the CM in a sealed envelope via a CM mail box. Are you living in Brussels? Than you can also apply for prepaid envelopes. With these envelopes, you can send your certificates via a normal Bpost mailbox for free. You find an overview of all mail boxes in Dutch on www.cm.be. Afterwards, your reimbursement will be deposited into your account.
You cannot work because of an illness or an accident? In this case, immediately inform your employer and provide him/her with a medical certificate. Inform also the CM within 48 hours. You can do so by using the official form ‘Declaration of incapacity for work’.
See ‘incapacitated for work’ for more information on this issue.
It is possible that your doctor or your specialist prescribes you medication. Some drugs are (partially) reimbursed by the health insurance, others are not. Maybe you do not notice this with the pharmacist, since you only pay your own share. The pharmacist settles the rest of the amount directly with CM. That’s why you must present your eID or ISI+-card in the pharmacy. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information about the reimbursement.
Some drugs require an additional permission given by CM’s advisory physician. When this is needed, your doctor will give you all the necessary information.
In some situations, your doctor or specialist cannot help you and you need to go to the hospital. In that case, it is crucial that your health insurance is in order.
As a CM member you are entitled to a wide range of services and benefits. For example, attractive gifts for the birth of a child, additional benefits in eye care and for treatment by an osteopath and chiropractor (‘bone manipulator’). If you play sports, CM will give you a helping hand financially. Are you going on a trip? Then, you are entitled to CM travel assistance.
