Doctors to receive 180 euros compensation for performing euthanasia
Doctors who perform euthanasia will soon be entitled to a dedicated fee of 180.24 euros, starting 1 November. This marks the first time euthanasia is formally reimbursed, over two decades after Belgium's euthanasia law came into effect in 2002.
Until now, euthanasia has not been included in the medical terminology, meaning it was not reimbursed. Doctors could only charge a standard consultation or home visit (47.50 euros), and many waived the fee altogether. Under the new system, patients will not pay anything, as doctors must use the third-party payment method.
The change follows mounting calls from general practitioners, particularly in light of a sharp rise in euthanasia cases. In 2024, 3,991 people opted for euthanasia, nearly double the number from ten years ago.
"It still affects you"
“Euthanasia involves a lot. Much more than just that injection,” Marieke Geijsels, a GP in Edegem and member of Domus Medica told De Standaard. “Doctors and patients sometimes work for years towards that moment. There's also a lot of paperwork involved. On the day of the euthanasia, it usually takes four hours. I usually set aside my entire afternoon for it because I find it difficult to continue working afterward. You do your work as a doctor as professionally as possible, but it still affects you.”
The fee was approved earlier this year by the insurance committee of the National Institute for Sickness and Disability Insurance (RIZIV). According to Jos Vanhoof of the Flemish Medical Association, 180 euros is reasonable: “If you reduce it to an hourly rate, that amount is certainly not excessive.”
Vooruit MP Jan Bertels says the delayed recognition stems from society’s evolving view. “Society has become comfortable with euthanasia after 23 years. But recognising it as a true medical 'achievement' was apparently difficult for some. I'm glad that people have matured.”
© PHOTO SIMON WOHLFAHRT / AFP
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