Health minister calls for stricter checks on long-term disability benefits
Federal Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke wants people who have been on disability benefits for more than a year to undergo a fresh medical assessment before their benefits are extended, De Standaard reported on Saturday.
Belgium currently counts almost 300,000 people on long-term sickness until retirement, according to Vandenbroucke. The federal Health minister announced what he called a “small revolution” to tackle the rising numbers.
Under the plan, anyone on disability benefits for more than 12 months will have to reapply with a full medical reassessment to continue receiving payments. That process will then be repeated annually. “The assessment of someone’s work potential should start from scratch,” Vandenbroucke said.
The obligation will not apply to people who are fully disabled or undergoing heavy treatment, such as cancer therapy. While exact figures are not yet available, Vandenbroucke estimated that over 100,000 of the long-term sick would eventually face re-examination.
The minister acknowledged that activating more long-term sick people could ease the financial burden on social security. “In the long run, this could save hundreds of millions of euros for social security,” he said. “Although that is not my primary concern.”
Additional measures
Vandenbroucke's proposal comes on top of measures already planned within the federal government. In the coming years, people on long-term sick leave will be contacted more quickly and at regular intervals, and they risk losing part of their benefits if they do not cooperate.
Employers, sickness funds, employment agencies and doctors will also be more closely involved. Companies will soon have to cover 30 per cent of sickness benefits for two months, a cost that has until now been borne entirely by health insurance.
© BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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