A long-awaited amendment of the EU Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) rules was validated by the European Commission last Friday, 17 November, with immediate effect. The Commission has increased particularly outdated ceilings for medical expenses which concern a large number of beneficiaries. 

Main changes for all JSIS members 

First, a visit to your general practitioner will henceforth be reimbursed up to a maximum of €42, instead of €35 – a 15% increase. The ceiling for consultations by a specialist has increased by almost 30%, from €50 to €64.  

The other ceilings’ updates concern more specific types of medical expenses with a social character, such as: 

These new ceilings apply to treatments taking place after the entry into force  of the  Commission decision of 17 November 2023. It also updates the rules about fertility treatments, where the change is not about raising ceilings but expanding the right to reimbursement. 

The Commission is adapting the rules and the reimbursement ceilings to today’s financial and societal realities. This decision is a first step while the review will continue in the future. The PMO and DG HR continue the preparation of a general update of the JSIS rules based on further proposals of the JSIS Management Committee.