Having a disability decreases both job and housing opportunities [2,7-9]. A lack of information about the current situation in the Flemish region, combined with selleckbio 2010 being the ��European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion��, provided an opportunity to investigate which socio-demographic factors relate to poverty and financial health care access for disabled people. The Flemish Region comprises 6,251,983 inhabitants (out of almost 11 million Belgian inhabitants; figures for 2010 for the sake of comparability) making it the most populated region of Belgium [10]. Social security policy, public health care and disability matters are executed by federal and regional governments, which makes the public administration system in Belgium quite complex.

In Flanders in June 2010 35,298 places in a licensed care institution for disabled people providing accommodation, support and care, were available. Of these, 24,511 places were residential or semi residential care institutions, 10,787 places were reserved for ambulant care and support [11]. Insurance for medical care is compulsory, with a minimum financial contribution, and covers both preventive and curative care. A patient pays the full amount for medical consultations or treatment and receives a receipt. The insurance institution (health insurance fund) will refund part of the costs when the receipt is submitted. Prescribed medicines or drugs are reimbursed through a third payer��s scheme, meaning that a patient with a prescription from a recognized practitioner does not have to pay the full amount at the pharmacy because the reimbursement rates are applied directly.

Psychological help is partially reimbursed, but only if it is provided by a psychiatrist. The reimbursement of expenses related to vision aids (glasses or lenses) depends on the patient��s health insurance fund and varies in rate and frequency of reimbursement [12]. In Belgium there are two types of financial compensation for people with a disabilitya. Firstly, an ��income replacement allowance�� (IRA) is granted to disabled people who are less able or unable to perform work because of physical or mental limitations. Secondly, an ��integration allowance�� (IA) is granted to disabled people who have an increased level of dependence. The amount for both allowances is influenced by the household type, monthly income and the partner��s income [13]. Some disabled people can benefit from certain important governmental measures to reduce financial barriers in Belgium, such as the RVV-statute, the maximal invoice and the Omnio-statute. A well-defined group Carfilzomib of disabled people are entitled to receive an increased reimbursement of medical costs (the so-called RVV-statute, Recht op Verhoogde Verzekeringstegemoetkoming).