To counter the resurgence of the coronavirus epidemic, some experts are calling for generalized screening. But this is still far from being the case. So who can get tested today? Do I need a doctor’s prescription? Is it reimbursed by social security?
First scenario, you have had close contact with a positive person, a call center in charge of tracing calls you and gives you a code to give to the screening center.
Another case: you experience one or more symptoms. Or, you come back from a risk area.
In these last two cases, you should in principle, consult your general practitioner who will write a prescription for the screening test, you will complete an online form together which will allow you to link to your test. But at the CHU Saint-Pierre, a Brussels hospital, only 20% of patients come with the right documents.
“80% of the citizens who present themselves either do not have prescriptions, but above all they sometimes have a paper prescription or a referral that is not electronic. So, for these patients, we are obliged to make a digital prescription . You have to encode and it takes time “, indicates Philippe Vandenberghe, the head of the screening center at CHU Saint-Pierre.
A requirement for the cost of the test to be reimbursed
In particular, an attending physician must be appointed. This is essential for the cost of the test (46.81 euros) to be reimbursed.
“The Inami establishes criteria and reimburses all tests. They therefore require medical prescriptions to have some control,” explains Philippe Leroy, CEO of CHU Saint-Pierre.
In this center, the staff therefore calls for a relaxation of administrative measures to concentrate on the essential: carrying out the tests. It is also imperative to find out about the screening center where you want to go because not all of them apply the same criteria.
“In Saint-Pierre, people can spontaneously come to the clinics to be tested. With us, they have to make an appointment,” specifies Anne-Sophie Marsin, director of strategy and development of Saint-Luc clinics.
Finally, if you have to go to a foreign country that requires a negative test, you will have to go to a private laboratory. In this case, the tests are not reimbursed.
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