What does a treatment cost, and how much does the health insurance fund pay back?

Which amounts does the patient see?

Below the answer, a summary shows three amounts, so the patient knows right away what they will pay:

• The fee: what the dentist charges.
• The reimbursement: what the health insurance fund pays back.
• The patient share: what the patient pays themselves.

Where do the amounts come from?

From the dentists' tariff table published by RIZIV, the Belgian national health insurance institute. The AI model only writes the sentence around them and may not quote any other amount. Owivo checks at least every week whether RIZIV has published new tariffs. A new table is staged and the Owivo team gets an alert with the changed amounts. The chat only uses it after the team has reviewed and activated it.

What if a dentist does not follow the national agreement?

Per location, you set whether the dentists work under the agreement (conventioned), partly or not at all. Conventioned means the official tariffs. For a dentist who is not or only partly conventioned, Owivo shows the official tariff as a starting price, because that dentist may charge more.

What about your own prices?

Your prices stay yours. Per location, you choose how Owivo talks about prices:

• RIZIV tariffs: Owivo shows the fee, reimbursement and patient share from the official table.
• Your own tariffs: Owivo shows your own fee, with reimbursement and patient share from the RIZIV table.
• No prices: Owivo says the practice discusses fees during the consultation and gives your phone number.

Why is every amount an estimate?

The summary first shows the standard patient share: without increased reimbursement and with reimbursed dental care in the previous calendar year. When the share differs with increased reimbursement (VT), or without reimbursed dental care in the previous calendar year under the mondzorgtraject (the Belgian oral care pathway), the summary shows that amount too and Owivo says which amount applies in which situation. Owivo does not know the patient's situation, so it never picks an amount for them. The final settlement goes through the health insurance fund.

For which treatments does Owivo not quote a RIZIV amount?

Crowns and bridges are only reimbursed under an exception scheme, so Owivo quotes no RIZIV amount for them. It explains that the practice sets the price and discusses it in advance, and only mentions your own fee if you entered one. When a question fits several treatments, Owivo first asks which one the patient means.

What changed for patients in 2026?

Since 1 July 2026 a dentist may no longer charge fee supplements to patients with increased reimbursement for reimbursable dental care and orthodontics, even when the dentist is not conventioned. The mondzorgtraject applies from age 19: patients who had reimbursed dental care in the previous calendar year pay a lower patient share. Basic dental care for children under 19 is fully reimbursed when the dentist follows the official tariffs.