Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper): Starting January 1, Belgium will expand transgender care access from two to six centres, adding locations in Antwerp, Brussels, Genk, and Sint-Niklaas. Jan Van Hocke from Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg highlighted the financial burden of treatments, while Senne Knuts, a transitioning individual, expressed hope for improved support and accessibility with new funding.
From January 1, people in Belgium can get transgender care at six centres instead of two. The National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance has added four new centres in Antwerp, Brussels, Genk, and Sint-Niklaas, along with the ones in Ghent and Liège. Jan Van Hocke from Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg said this is good news, but he mentioned that the treatments can be very costly, making it tough for some patients and causing them to drop out.
How will new funding impact transgender care access in Belgium?
Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg has been paying some costs for transgender care, but that couldn’t last forever. Now, with the RIZIV planning to cover costs, making treatments cheaper and helping more people get care. The Gender Centre in Genk has done well, reaching 100 patients a year, and that number might go up with the new reimbursements. Senne Knuts, who began his transition three years ago, also thinks it’s great that more centres will get funding.
Senne shares how challenging the treatment can be in many ways, mentally, physically, and financially. He explains that it’s not easy for everyone to pay for it, but his parents were able to support him. Senne also talks about his struggle with depression for years and how things improved once he started treatment. Now, he feels hopeful about his future and believes that without the treatment, he might not have been able to keep going.
