{
    "title": "Belgium health funds under fire after review finds questionable sickness benefit payments",
    "modified_at": "2026-05-11 08:20:18",
    "published_at": "2026-05-11 08:20:00",
    "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/belgium-health-funds-under-fire-after-review-finds-questionable-sickness-benefit-payments",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/90Gd",
    "culture": "en_BE",
    "language": "EN",
    "slug": "belgium-health-funds-under-fire-after-review-finds-questionable-sickness-benefit-payments",
    "body": "<p><strong>Belgium&rsquo;s health insurance funds, known as &ldquo;ziekenfondsen&rdquo; or &ldquo;mutualities&rdquo;, are facing growing criticism after a new government study found that many long-term sickness benefits may have been wrongly paid.</strong></p><p>A sample check by Belgium&rsquo;s national health insurance institute, the RIZIV/INAMI, seen by newspaper De Standaard, showed that around one in four people who had been off work for more than a year received benefits for too long or without proper justification.</p><p>The study looked at 2,000 cases in 2025, focusing on people under 28 and people under 40 with mental health conditions. In both groups, officials decided that about 25% of sickness claims should have ended earlier or been reduced.</p><p>In most of those cases, inspectors concluded that the person could in principle return to a similar job. This applied to 70% of younger claimants and 84% of younger people with mental health problems.</p><p>The findings add pressure on Belgium&rsquo;s mutualities, which manage compulsory health insurance payments and support people on long-term sick leave. Socialist mutualities were criticised in particular, with higher rates of incorrect payments than other funds.</p><p>Belgian Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke has sharply criticised the system over the weekend. He said the mutualities &ldquo;must completely reinvent themselves&rdquo; and warned that their future is at stake if they fail to reform.</p><p>The debate has become increasingly political in recent months. Parties including the Flemish nationalist N-VA and the liberal MR have questioned whether the mutualities are too powerful and whether their doctors are independent enough when assessing sick leave claims.</p><p>Vandenbroucke has also suggested linking the organisations&rsquo; public funding more closely to performance, such as helping vulnerable patients access vaccines, treatment programmes, and family doctors.</p><p>Despite the criticism, the minister said abolishing the mutualities altogether would not solve the problem. A parliamentary hearing on the issue is expected in Brussels this week.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><sup>&copy; Imagebroker </sup></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>",
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    "author": {
        "first_name": "Flanders",
        "last_name": "News Service"
    },
    "format_version": 5
}