How to get cared for and reimbursed
In general you can choose your general practicioner (as long as they have space and are available). Most have opening hours during which you don’t need an appointment, and all will take appointments for later on. You can go to the hospital emergency room or get an appointment there (telephone or online) as well. What you need to bring is your SIS card (until end of 2014 or so) and/or you Belgian ID card (which will incorporate the SIS card soon). You pay something up front, and get reimbursed by your Mutuelle (see below).
Some specialties take a very long time for appointments. Dentists are ok, but opthalmologists, gynecologists and so on can be up to 3 months if you want a specific doctor and are not an emergency. Going to a clinic in town or to a hospital will improve this as you have a pool of doctors.
Mutuelles and a few of their addresses
A Mutuelle is a private insurance company which acts as an intermediary between you and the government, which handles social security and pays for most basics, hospital etc… There are many different ones, often politically affiliated but this doesn’t mean much – the basic service is exactly the same, and you get a few additional options on which supplementary insurance (more dental, hospital with single room…) you want. The difference in price is at most 10-20% between mutuelles. The normal cost for a single individual is around 100-200 euros/year. Dependents (wife, kids…) are added on fairly simply, and may add a similar amount (varies with the Mutuelle).
Basically you just have to pick one, bring a form from the University to prove you are employed (otherwise things are much more expensive) and register. For reimbursements (always by bank transfer) they give you stickers with your Mutuelle number on them, and you mail them the receipts with a sticker.
Some popular mutuelles:
Euromut (international, and they speak English)
Mutualites Neutres (a bit cheaper)
Mutualites Chretiennes (family friendly)
A few doctor’s addresses
Over the weekends and Friday evenings, instead of going to the emergency room there is a very convenient service downtown maison médicale GLAMO.
Dental clinic just after Pont Kennedy:
CABINET DENTAIRE DU LONGDOZ
RUE TOUR EN BECHE,9
4020 LIEGE
TEL 04/341.44.47