inami

INAMI, or Institut national d'assurance maladie-invalidité, is a Belgian federal public service that administers the country's compulsory health insurance and invalidity benefits. In Dutch, the corresponding agency is Rijksinstituut voor Ziekte- en Invaliditeitsverzekering (RIZIV); together the two terms are commonly referred to as RIZIV/INAMI in Belgium, reflecting the country’s bilingual administration.

Its main responsibilities include defining reimbursement rules and tariff schedules for medical acts, medicines, and equipment; determining eligibility for benefits; and paying reimbursements to insured persons through the system of mutualités (health insurance funds). It also administers sickness and invalidity benefits and supervises the mutualités' compliance with Belgian law. The agency negotiates and monitors contracts with health care providers and maintains registers of qualified professionals and institutions. INAMI also collects and analyzes data on health expenditure and insurance coverage to support policy decisions and cost control.

Organization and governance: INAMI operates under the Federal Public Service Social Security, reporting to the Belgian federal ministers of Social Security. Its day-to-day operations are overseen by a director-general and a management team, with participation from stakeholders, such as the mutualités (insurance funds) and professional associations.

History and context: INAMI/RIZIV has its origins in Belgium’s development of mandatory health insurance and invalidity benefits in the 20th century. The bilingual branding of INAMI and the Dutch counterpart reflects the country’s official linguistic communities.

Impact and scope: The institute plays a central role in financing health care in Belgium, balancing patient access with cost containment by setting tariffs, processing reimbursements, and enforcing rules that apply to providers and insurers.

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