Dear Patients,
For several weeks now, the Belgian medical community has been going through a period of deep concern. Political decisions, taken without consultation, threaten the very organization of the care we provide you every day.
If we speak out today, it is not to talk about our comfort.
It is to defend a quality, accessible, and humane healthcare system—for you, for your children, for everyone.
What is at stake: Your access to healthcare.
The bill under discussion plans to cap the income of non-contracted doctors and dentists, without taking into account:
- Their workload
- Their hours (evenings, weekends, emergencies)
- Their investments in modern materials, equipment and latest technologies
- The current shortage of healthcare professionals
Direct consequences for YOU
- Fewer practitioners available
- Increasing waiting times
- Less freedom in choosing your doctor
- Shorter, more expedited consultations
- An already overwhelmed public hospital that will be unable to keep up
The private sector – which many of you rely on – provides essential support to the hospital system. Weakening it means weakening healthcare as a whole.
What few people know
- The bill significantly reduces the voice of medical unions and associations, bypassing consultation bodies.
- It would allow the State to have the right to inspect your medical records, jeopardizing confidentiality between caregivers and patients.
- It would also allow the Ministry to revoke an INAMI (National Institute for Health and Disability) number (INAMI/RIZIM) at its discretion, without due process.
These are serious measures; they undermine the foundations of free, independent medicine that respects your privacy.
I encourage you to contact your local health councillor to share your opinions.
