Employee Benefits
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Published on 26/07/2022
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AG refunds the cost of your staff members' mobile health apps
After taking a central place in our lives, partly due to the coronavirus crisis, new technologies and mobile applications continue to be frequently used in our daily lives, even without the restrictions due to COVID. The healthcare sector is certainly no exception, with many different mobile health and wellness apps on the market to choose from. Which is why AG has decided to refund the cost of some of these mobile health apps. Read this article to find out more about the criteria for reimbursement.
After taking a central place in our lives, partly due to the coronavirus crisis, new technologies and mobile applications continue to be frequently used in our daily lives, even without the restrictions due to COVID. The healthcare sector is certainly no exception, with many different mobile health and wellness apps on the market to choose from. Which is why AG has decided to refund the cost of some of these mobile health apps. Read this article to find out more about the criteria for reimbursement.
Can your staff members claim back the cost of their mobile health apps from AG?
For a mobile health app to be covered by AG, it must meet all of the following four criteria:
- It must have the CE mark
- It must run on a secure connection
- It must have proven socio-economic value
- It must first be approved and refundable by the INAMI/RIZIV
Once statutory compensation has been paid, AG will cover the remaining out-of-pocket expense for the patient. If your staff members have hospitalisation insurance with AG, the cost of their mobile health apps will be refunded during their pre-admission and post-discharge period. If they have outpatient insurance, the cost of their apps can be claimed back at any time (based on the criteria applicable to medication).
How to recognise certified mobile health apps?
To help you identify certified mobile medical apps in Belgium, several Belgian organisations including the Belgian federal government have created a website (https://mhealthbelgium.be).
This platform consolidates all certified health apps. It classifies apps according to three levels: apps get level 1 if they have been approved and feature the European CE mark*, level 2 if they run on a secure connection and level 3 if they have proven socio-economic value. The INAMI/RIZIV and AG will only refund the cost of mobile health apps that have obtained all three levels.
Source: mHealthBelgium
* The CE mark means that these apps are controlled like medication, it's safe to use them and your privacy is protected.
View the
list of approved apps.
The moveUP mobile health app: eligible for reimbursement
To assess the possibility of reimbursing mobile health applications, the INAMI/RIZIV selected the moveUP application for its test phases. With MoveUP, patients who have had hip or knee surgery can get treatment and do physiotherapy for rehab remotely, before and after their surgery. To be able to claim back the costs of moveUP, patients who use this app must meet certain criteria.
Since April 2022, the INAMI/RIZIV contributes towards the cost of moveUP. AG refunds therefore the remaining out-of-pocket expense for the patient.
