For many healthtech and medtech companies, securing reimbursement is key to market success, but it’s also one of the toughest hurdles to overcome. Belgium is making a name for itself as a frontrunner in digital health, being one of only three European countries with a structured reimbursement system for digital health apps.

This push for telemonitoring is already delivering results. Since 1 January 2025, hospitals in Belgium can receive funding from the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (RIZIV-INAMI) to monitor patients with chronic heart failure remotely using approved medical apps. This is more than a policy tweak – it’s a fundamental shift in how care is delivered, benefiting patients, hospitals and innovative companies.

A vital step forwards for heart failure care

Telemonitoring isn’t new, but until recently it was often a luxury rather than a standard part of healthcare. Patients and hospitals typically had to bear the cost themselves, limiting adoption of new apps or devices.

That model is now changing. Under the new RIZIV-INAMI convention, hospitals that sign on and meet certain criteria (like having a dedicated cardiologist and heart-failure nurse on staff) can now be reimbursed when using digital apps to monitor chronic heart failure patients.

“This is a big step forward in the care of people with heart failure,” said Dr. Matthias Dupont, head of cardiac intensive care at Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg (ZOL) and former chair of the Belgian Heart Failure Working Group. “Thanks to the new convention, we can now follow up patients from their homes, thus reducing the number of hospitalizations.”

That impact is already visible: 24 Belgian hospitals have joined the convention so far, and the list keeps growing.

Eight Belgian apps approved – Four by MEDVIA members

Under the RIZIV-INAMI convention, only apps that meet strict quality and safety criteria are eligible for reimbursement. Eight apps have received the green light, with more expected to be approved (an overview can be found on the mHealthBelgium portal). All of the approved apps were developed by Belgian companies, or international companies with a Belgian branch.

Four of the apps approved so far were created by MEDVIA members: BeWell Well@Home, moveUP, FibriCheck and Comarch HomeHealth 2.0. Each brings its own strengths to the table, helping both clinicians and patients manage care more effectively from home.

“We are convinced that telemonitoring will have a positive impact on the quality of life of patients with chronic heart problems and those of their families,” said federal health minister Frank Vandenbroucke. “It allows the patient’s care needs to be detected and addressed more quickly, which will reduce the need for readmissions to the hospital.”

Real gains for healthcare

Chronic heart failure affects 2-3% of Belgium’s population – between 250,000 and 350,000 people – and costs the healthcare system around €300 million each year. It’s a huge burden, which telemonitoring could help to ease. A pilot program for heart failure run by Europe Hospitals found that rolling telemonitoring out nationally could save the government up to €28.7 million annually.

“Thanks to telemonitoring, both the quality of care and the quality of life of the patient improves,” said Steven Vandeput, digital health advisor for beMedTech. “And our healthcare system gains in efficiency and effectiveness.”

This is just the beginning

Cardiology may be leading the way, but experts see broader applications for reimbursed health apps. “Telemonitoring also offers opportunities for the follow-up of heart problems other than chronic heart failure,” said Vandeput. “And in time, we need to expand telemonitoring to other patient groups, such as people with diabetes, cancer, sleep apnea, etc.”

Dr Paul Dendale of Jessa Hospital added: “We take it for granted that we can bank, plan trips and make purchases online. That evolution is coming in healthcare as well. Whatever can be done digitally in terms of care needs to be made available to the patient.”

Let’s pave the way, together

Belgium’s progressive stance on digital health reimbursement is already transforming care for heart failure patients, but that’s only the beginning. As more patient groups become eligible and more apps gain approval, the possibilities will only expand.

At MEDVIA, we believe innovation thrives when the right partners unite their efforts. That’s why we champion structural changes to the health innovation ecosystem – like reimbursement schemes that ease adoption of new apps – and support our members in tackling complex challenges. By working together, we’re making life better for entrepreneurs, healthcare providers and patients alike.

Quotes sourced from this beMedTech article in Dutch. Header Image: FibriCheck