Healthcare in Luxembourg is one of the best state-sponsored systems in Europe, and every legal resident can use it. You contribute to the national health fund through your salary, and from then on, you’ll either pay reduced rates or claim most of your costs back. Public healthcare here is excellent, although private care is available too.
Public healthcare in Luxembourg
Luxembourg’s hospitals and clinics are well equipped, and the public healthcare in Luxembourg is first rate. Once you’re paying into national social security each month, you and your family can use the system at reduced rates or claim back most of what you spend.
Under the state system, you can choose your own GP, dentist, specialist, and hospital. Basic coverage includes most GP and specialist treatments, laboratory tests, prescriptions, and hospitalisation.
Private healthcare in Luxembourg
Private healthcare in Luxembourg works a little differently than you may be used to. For starters, there aren’t any private hospitals. Every hospital is part of the publicly funded system, and private care here really means the doctors and specialists who practise privately. To see one, take out a private health insurance policy, since the fees can be steep if you’re paying yourself.
Public healthcare is good enough that most residents rely on it alone. Some add private coverage for the extras the state doesn’t fully pay for, such as private hospital rooms, dental work, orthodontics, and glasses.
Health insurance in Luxembourg
You can’t opt out of health insurance in Luxembourg. It’s compulsory for everyone who works, whether you’re employed or self-employed. You will be registered with the Joint Centre for Social Security (CCSS). Your employer usually handles that for you, but the self-employed will need to do it themselves.
You’ll then receive a social security card, which you show whenever you see a doctor or pick up a prescription. Your employer deducts your monthly contribution straight from your salary, so you rarely need to think about it. The self-employed pay the CCSS directly.
For most treatments, the CNS reimburses between 80 and 100 percent of the cost, and you pay the rest. In practice, you’ll often pay the doctor upfront and claim the money back, although pharmacies, hospitals, physiotherapists, and labs usually bill the CNS directly. Many residents top this up with private insurance to cover the gaps.
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Pharmacies and medication in Luxembourg
You’ll spot pharmacies in Luxembourg by the green cross outside, which is lit whenever the shop’s open. On signs, you’ll see them called pharmacie in French, Apotheke in German, and Apdikt in Luxembourgish. Most pharmacies keep ordinary shop hours, but duty pharmacies (pharmacies de garde) are always open overnight and on Sundays.
How much of a prescription you get back depends on the category the CNS assigns the medicine to. Essential drugs are reimbursed in full, standard ones at 80 percent, and less essential ones at 40 percent, and you pay the balance. Over-the-counter medicines aren’t reimbursed, so you’ll pay for those yourself.
Bring the generic name of any medicine you take rather than the brand name, since brands differ from country to country. Everyday remedies such as painkillers and cold treatments are sold only in pharmacies here, not in supermarkets, which can catch newcomers out.
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Vaccinations in Luxembourg
No vaccinations are required to enter Luxembourg, so you just need to keep your routine jabs up to date before you move. These are the ones to check:
- measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
- diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough
- polio
- chickenpox
Measles and polio have been on the rise worldwide lately, so it’s sensible to get a booster. Doctors often suggest the hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines too, plus a rabies jab if you’ll be working closely with animals. A yearly flu shot is a good idea for older adults, who may also be offered the shingles vaccine. None of these is compulsory, and your GP can advise what makes sense for you.
Emergency medical services in Luxembourg
For any medical emergency in Luxembourg, dial 112, the European emergency number. If you need the police, it’s 113 instead. Operators can usually help you in English, as well as French, German, and Luxembourgish. A standard ambulance is crewed by trained rescuers, but for anything life-threatening, the dispatcher will send a SAMU (Service d’Aide Médicale Urgente) unit too, which carries an emergency doctor and a specialist nurse.
The main hospitals all run emergency departments, and they’ll treat anyone who needs urgent care, whether or not you’re insured. If you’re covered, the CNS settles most of the bill afterwards. Out of hours, the hospitals take turns on duty.