Compulsory Sickness/Incapacity insurance
In Belgium, all employers and employees pay social security contributions (as a percentage of gross salary). The self-employed, on the other hand, pay their contributions directly to a Welfare fund of their own choice. The resources of the social security system are distributed between 6 functions : Management of the Sickness/Disability insurance system (Assurance Maladie-Invalidité – AMI) is entrusted by law law to the "mutualités" and the Auxiliary Welfare Fund (Caisse Auxiliaire). In Belgium, there are 5 national groups of "mutualités". The primary role of the "mutualités" is to ensure the partial reimbursement of health-care expenses and the provision of an alternative income in case of incapacity to work. In addition to their primary role of providing compulsory health insurance, within the framework of the INAMI, the "mutualités" organize other services, and provide additional benefits.
However, entitlement to social welfare benefits in Belgium is conditional on satisfying certain statutory criteria (which are prescribed by the National Insitute for Sickness/Disability Insurance – INAMI).
