Transportation by ambulance from Luxembourg abroad

A non-hospitalised insured person has scheduled hospital treatment abroad and is travelling by ambulance from Luxembourg to another country. Coverage for such ambulance transport is subject to certain conditions.

Conditions of coverage

The insured person must take the necessary preliminary steps for the treatment abroad to be covered by the health insurance.

For any reimbursement of transport costs for scheduled treatment, the insured must have a certificate of coverage issued by the CNS valid for the period during which the treatment takes place.

Procedures

Certificate of coverage

In order to obtain this certificate of coverage, the attending physician must specify separately for the outward and return journeys the medical reasons for which a reclining or semi-seated position is essential, on a prior medical prescription.

This prior application must be sent to the CNS. The CNS carries out an administrative check of the application. If this check is satisfactory, the CNS issues a certificate of coverage, which is sent to the insured person.

Please note: If the return journey is not made on the same day as the outward journey, it is up to the foreign treating doctor to issue the medical prescription.

Reimbursment / Coverage

The insured may:

hand over the certificate of coverage to the approved transport provider and ask him to apply for coverage through the third-party payment system. If all the conditions are met, the insured person only pays to the provider the part of the costs not covered by the health insurance.
advance the costs and subsequently request reimbursement from the CNS. The documents to be enclosed are the paid invoice from the approved transport provider and the valid proof of payment.

It is recommended to make arrangements with the approved provider in order to find the most suitable solution.

Coverage rate

Simple transport by ambulance is covered at the rate of seventy percent (70%) of the invoices established on the basis of:

of a minimum of thirty-nine euros and seven cents (€39.07) per trip,
or of an amount of one euro and twenty-nine cents (€1.29) per kilometer

For the calculation of the route, the shortest distance is taken into account between:

the normal station of the ambulance closest to the insured's departure,
the place of departure of the insured,
the place where he receives treatment,
the place to which the insured person returns, if necessary, after receiving treatment,
the place where the ambulance is normally stationed.

Waiting periods are covered at the rate of seventy percent (70%), taken into account at the rate of thirty-one cents (€0.31) per minute in the event of a return journey to the insured's point of departure. These costs can only be covered if the costs for waiting time are less than the amount covered for the outward and return journey.

Disinfection of the ambulance is covered in full at a flat rate of one hundred and sixteen euros and nineteen cents (€116.19) only on the basis of a reasoned medical prescription issued either by the doctor who ordered the transport or by the doctor treating the insured person on admission.

For simple transport by ambulance abroad, 30% of the statutory tariff remains payable by the insured. To this participation are added possible supplements charged by the transport companies. If possible, find out about the prices charged by the transport companies before choosing a provider.

The third-party payment system can only be operated by the CNS with providers approved by the CNS. The insured person must advance the costs if he is transported by a foreign transport company.

Limitations

Transport costs are only covered up to a maximum distance of 600 km for the outward journey.

In other words, if the S2 authorisation is granted for treatment in a hospital at a distance of more than 600 km, the certificate of coverage is only granted for a maximum distance of 600 km.