The nine transparency codes that doctors will have to transmit to mutual insurance companies as part of electronic billing are causing concern. This is what the Belgian Association of Medical Unions (ABSyM) indicated on Friday, emphasizing that the instructions from the National Institute for Sickness and Disability Insurance (INAMI) go beyond the law.
These codes, published in the Belgian Official Gazette on September 18, 2024, will become mandatory from September 1, 2025 with the legal generalization of electronic invoicing for outpatient services. The ABSyM deplores that the INAMI, in drafting its directives, allowed itself to be strongly guided by the mutual societies responsible for the flow of data. The association notes, after an in-depth legal analysis, that mutual requests for detailed descriptions of the nature of medical services have no legal basis. For non-refundable services, only the amount must be communicated, in accordance with the law.
ABSyM also calls for better alignment of directives with data protection legislation (GDPR). She recalls that mutual societies, as “economic operators”, are required to respect competition rules. Any substantial patient information should be anonymized before being transmitted.
This analysis was transmitted to INAMI by ABSyM, which requests that the data collected be used only within the legal framework provided for by the Belgian and European legislator.
Access to all features is reserved for healthcare professionals.
If you are a healthcare professional you must log in or register for free on our site to access all of our content.
If you are a journalist or if you wish to inform us, write to us at [email protected].
Belgium
