For a variety of reasons governments over time have tried to make sure that as many people as possible protect themselves against risks. Some of these risks are considered to be more damaging to society than others and are deemed to be in need of governmental regulation. Risks involving sickness and old age are among them. The way in which Belgian citizens took care of those risks and the reaction of their government in the form of regulations and laws, is the subject of this chapter.

Modern Belgian health insurance, which is part of the social security system, has experienced problems as a result of rising medical costs, greater demand for medical care and the steadily increasing number of elderly people. In this respect the Belgian situation is similar to that of most of other developed countries. Total health care costs in Belgium rose from 8.6 per cent of GDP in 1998 to 10.9 per cent in 2009 and the rise in costs seems to be accelerating. The growth and ageing of the population were expected to be responsible for an increase in health costs of 0.9 per cent per year. The percentage of people over the age of sixty-five was projected to rise from 15.1 per cent in 1990 to 20 per cent by the year 2020. In 2008 the percentage had risen already to seventeen and was expected to rise to thirty in 2060.