​Almost every mum or dad asks this important question. Rest assured: once you are affiliated through your employer to a hospitalisation insurance the costs of childbirth are reimbursed in most cases. Only in limited cases there are limits such as a waiting period after a new affiliation.

So enjoy your pregnancy without financial worries.

​It may perhaps not seem so, but no one childbirth is the same as the next.  Important choices have to be made about which hospital you want to give birth in and in which room type you want to recuperate afterwards. The hospital and the room type (e.g. single or double room) have a significant impact on the bill for the delivery. In this way a natural birth cost in Belgium in 2015 an average of 186 to 1356 euros. In addition, the cost of a single room is often a multiple of that for a double room, and giving birth in Brussels is appreciably more expensive than in Flanders or Wallonia, with bills of more than 3000 euros being no exception. So check carefully in advance what your hospitalisation insurance covers. The fee and room supplements for a single room will be reimbursed only if the insurance covers the cost of a single room. Otherwise, you must pay these supplements yourself.

Once the hospital and room type have been decided on, it is time to inform your hospitalisation insurance of the arrival of your little one. Don't wait till a few weeks before delivery, but do so from 2 months before your due delivery date. An exact birth date is not necessary, your insurer will note the calculated date.

If you are pregnant, you will probably visit the gynaecologist and your general practitioner for months before giving birth. Maybe you will need certain medicines. Medical costs associated with childbirth are also eligible for reimbursement by your hospitalisation insurance if incurred within a certain period prior to delivery. Depending on your insurance this period is usually one or two months. Again: check your policy in advance to know the exact period. And keep all receipts and invoices carefully.

The big day 

On the day of your admission everything takes place as with a normal hospital admission. The costs incurred during your stay will be itemized in your hospitalisation bill that will be sent only 2 to 3 months after your stay. 

Once back home, there are - in addition to enjoying the new apple of your family's eye - two important insurance matters to deal with. You will of course want to recover as soon as possible from your insurer the medical expenses incurred, and you are advised to immediately affiliate your new-born baby to your hospitalisation insurance.

• Reimbursement of medical expenses
  
  When you think of medical expenses, you think mainly of the hospital bill. In most cases this is reimbursed almost entirely. Only the so-called 'miscellaneous expenses' such as special meals, rooming-in for the father and baby care products fall outside the coverage.
  
  You hospitalisation insurance will also cover medical costs for a certain period before and after the delivery. These can include the costs of your general practitioner, gynaecologist and physiotherapist, as well as the purchase of medicines in pharmacies. 
  
  Full information on the reimbursement of costs associated with a hospital stay can be found here.

• Affiliating your baby to your hospitalisation insurance
  
  Once you've got your strength back, don't wait to think of your child's future.  In every case affiliate your baby to your hospitalisation insurance. Do this within 3 months of returning home. In this way your baby will be affiliated without medical formalities or waiting time. This is very important because if your baby needs to stay for a while in the maternity ward or be tested for SIDS, the hospital sees this as a separate admission of the child. In this case the medical costs will also be invoiced in your baby's name. 
  
  At the bottom of the page you can find out how to affiliate your baby to AG Employee Benefits.

• Your maternity leave and allowance
  
  You are entitled to maternity leave before and after giving birth. This is a period during which you do not go to work. As an employee, you are legally obliged to stop working from one week before until the 9th week after giving birth. You are entitled to six weeks pre-natal leave, up to five weeks of which you can transfer to your postnatal leave. If you are carrying twins, then you are entitled to two additional weeks of pre-natal leave.
  
  During your maternity leave you will receive through your sickness fund a replacement income of up to 82% of your limited wage. You should ask your health insurance fund what you need to do to apply for your maternity allowance.  
  
   
  

Other types of insurance that your employer can conclude for you

A good hospitalisation insurance is indispensable when giving birth.  There are also some other forms of cover that are often, and less often, included in the extra-legal package that your employer offers:  

• With an outpatient (or 'ambulatory') care insurance, prenatal and postnatal care is reimbursed all the year round.  In this way there is no limitation on the period in which costs are eligible for reimbursement. 
   
• Where your employer has taken out occupational disability insurance, you will receive an additional income during the period of disability (e.g. during maternity leave) on top of the statutory maternity benefit.  

​If you have already gone through all the above, you are all set to welcome your new offspring with open arms. Time to put everything into practice: how concretely can you claim on the hospitalisation insurance through AG Employee Benefits, and any other forms of cover offered by your employer?

• The reimbursement of your hospital bill and medical expenses before and after childbirth
  
  The procedure for claiming back medical expenses incurred before, during, and after childbirth is the same as for a standard hospital stay. Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to quick get your money back.
  
   
• Affiliating your new-born baby to your Hospicare insurance
  
  Don't forget to affiliate your baby to your hospitalisation insurance. If you request affiliation in writing within 3 months of the birth, your baby will be affiliated without medical formalities or waiting time. Some employers, however, choose to have new affiliations run through their own HR department. So best check with your HR department.
   

You want to know what forms of insurance cover your employer has taken out for you? Then go to MyAG Employee Benefits, the online tool of AG Employee Benefits. MyAG Employee Benefits is a secure tool. This means you need to register before you can view your personal information. So don't delay, ask your employer for your personal login. You will then receive an invitation email or letter with which you can register at MyAG Employee Benefits.

Once you are registered, you can log in and discover your guarantees.

TIP