The Special Solidarity Fund (SSF)

Is an additional safety net to cover "regular" medical care insurance.

It operates since 1990 within the National Institute of Sickness and Disability (INAMI – Institut National d’Assurance Maladie-Invalidité). With a limited annual budget, is funded by a levy on the resources of the compulsory health insurance.

It is the College of Manager-Physicians who decide to grant allowances and determines its amount.

This College is composed of doctors (or their representatives) of each Belgian medical care insurance and INAMI’s physicians.

Special Solidarity Fund goal

Help a patient in a very serious medical condition to get essential medical services that are not refundable and particularly expensive.

Requests to the SSF must meet certain conditions to be eligible for refunds.

Any allowance granted by the medical care insurance (however small) results in the SSF refund request refusal.

Good to know:

without prejudice to expensive cares in case of rare diseases (requiring or not continuing and complex care) or to innovative medical techniques, the SSF supports the additional medical treatment costs for chronically ill children (children with cancer, renal failure and chronic treatment with hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis as well as children suffering from life threatening disease that requires continuous treatment for 6 months or less repetitive treatment of the same duration), aged under 19 years from the time when those costs reach a total of more than € 650.

Moreover, for deserving cases, an allowance -subject to conditions- may be considered for services provided abroad and travel and residence of the beneficiary and, where applicable, the person who accompanies the patient.

In order to request a refund, please contact the medical board of your medical care insurance.

More information on the INAMI brochure.

It presents the SSF and its goals as well as how and when the patients can benefit from this fund.

Or via contacting INAMI (02/739 77 77 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Cf.: http://www.mutsoc.be/Mutsoc/MaSituation/Argent/Mesures-cout-soins/Fonds-special-de-solidarite/