The Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Flemish socialist) has written to the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (NIHDI) stating his intent to make savings of 907 million euro on the federal health budget. Mr Vandenbroucke has told NIHDI to present him with a list of savings in early October ahead of the negotiations on next year’s budget.
The 907 million euro in savings includes 264-euro’s worth of measures that had already been decided, 275 million euros in additional savings in the budget for pharmaceutical, 25 million euro of savings in the budget for the mutual health insurance funds and 200 million euro in savings that will come from the medical services budget and by greater efficiency in the way the country’s hospitals are organised.
In 2026 the amount spent on health will increase by 2% (1.546 billion euro) to 41.519 billion euro. However, estimates have shown that this will not be sufficient and as a result the Health Minister has already taken measures that will save 264 million euro.