Before your trip
Are you going on holiday abroad? Make sure to bring the right travel documents with you, so you can also feel reassured about reimbursement or travel assistance in case you need medical care. Helan is there to support you beyond national borders as well.
Make sure you're well prepared
Want to travel stress-free? It all starts with good preparation. Make sure you’ve ticked all the necessary boxes before you set off.
Your health insurance contribution must be paid before you leave for your trip. Only then can you rely on reimbursement for any medical care during your travels and contact Mediphone Assist for travel assistance.
If you need medical care abroad, you can use your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or another document to prove that you are covered by statutory health insurance in Belgium.
- Check which travel documents you need for your holiday destination.
- Thanks to the My Helan app, you always have your European Health Insurance Card digitally at hand!
You probably know that you need special vaccinations when travelling to distant countries in Asia, South America or Africa. But did you know that it is also worth checking whether a (travel) vaccination is needed for countries within Europe? Measles, for example, still frequently occurs in countries such as Italy, France and Romania.
For urgent questions about Helan travel assistance, you can contact Mediphone Assist 24/7. For convenience, it is best to save the number of the travel assistance centre in your phone before you leave:
Perhaps you are travelling abroad for a planned procedure. Contact us in good time and let us know which care you will receive there, and Helan will handle the reimbursement and arrange everything for you.
For a stay in countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan, parts of Asia or South Africa, it is advisable to take out additional health insurance for extra protection. Hospital costs can quickly become very high there. Your Belgian health insurance fund will reimburse any hospital invoices, but only according to Belgian rates. Your personal contribution can therefore add up quickly.
Most travel organisations also offer additional travel insurance. Ask your travel agent or private insurer for more information.
Good to know
Are you unable to work and receiving an allowance? Request permission for your trip from your health insurance fund at least 3 weeks before departure. Also provide your place of stay so we can reach you if necessary. You can easily arrange this via My Helan.
Which care is covered?
Some types of care are reimbursed only partially, others without limits, and some not at all. To support you as best as possible, our Emergency Care Abroad service focuses specifically on the reimbursement of urgent medical care across borders.
Be sure to inform the travel assistance centre Mediphone Assist within 48 hours if you need urgent care while abroad.
Do you need an EHIC?
Thanks to the My Helan app, you always have your European Health Insurance Card digitally at hand.
Practical questions and answers
To access healthcare in Australia, you need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), or a provisional certificate replacing the EHIC. Order the card or certificate via My Helan.
- The card is valid for 2 years and must be ordered in advance.
- Are you not staying in Australia for longer than 3 months? Then choose the provisional certificate. You will receive it immediately via eBox, your digital mailbox in My Helan.
Upon arrival in Australia, register at the nearest Medicare office. There, upon presentation of your passport and your European Health Insurance Card, you will receive a ‘Medicare Card’. With this card, you pay the full amount at the doctor, hospital or pharmacy and request reimbursement on the spot at a Medicare office.
If you did not request reimbursement locally, only limited reimbursement is possible via the statutory health insurance in case of an urgent hospital admission (at least one overnight stay). Keep your hospital invoices and, after your return, request reimbursement via this page.
Warning! It is advisable to take out private travel assistance insurance to avoid excessive costs.
Reimbursement via Medicare does not cover the actual medical costs, as it is based on Australian conditions and rates. Reimbursement of hospital costs afterwards in Belgium also does not cover the actual medical costs, as it is based on Belgian conditions and rates. There is no reimbursement for outpatient medical costs such as dental care or repatriation.
Always take into account the flag under which your ship sails; this is the country where the ship is registered. Medical care on board the ship is considered care in that country. If your ship docks somewhere and you receive care on land, the rules of the country where you receive the treatment naturally apply.
If the cruise ship sails under a European flag, you can request reimbursement of urgent medical costs for care on board after your return to Belgium.
Thanks to Mediphone Assist, you can rely on travel assistance in 53 countries, such as repatriation and payment of medical costs. In case of an urgent hospital admission or urgent outpatient care, contact Mediphone Assist immediately. The assistance centre is available 24/7 from abroad on T. +32 (0)2 778 94 94.
Tip! Save the Mediphone Assist phone number in your phone now. The only thing you still need to take with you is a sticker card for each family member travelling with you. This way, you will have their dossier number at hand immediately.
If the cruise ship does not sail under a European flag and/or one or more ports of call are not in the 53 countries covered by Mediphone Assist, it is advisable to take out comprehensive travel assistance insurance with your travel agency or private insurer for reimbursement of medical costs, repatriation, search and rescue costs, etc.
