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Health insurance: how do I get reimbursed for dental treatment?
A beautiful smile takes work and that work is sometimes expensive. Fortunately, Luxembourg’s health insurance system guarantees access to affordable healthcare, including visits to the dentist. However, the level of reimbursement for dental treatment may vary depending on age, the type of treatment and whether or not you have supplementary health insurance. In this article, we explore different scenarios to help you navigate the dental reimbursement process.
The two levels of dental treatment reimbursement in Luxembourg
Let’s start by reminding ourselves of the principle of the Luxembourg health system, which is based, in the first instance, on the Caisse Nationale de Santé (CNS) and potentially supplemented, for the most forward-thinking, by a supplementary health plan.
The CNS
The CNS is the compulsory health insurance scheme. It covers dental treatment up to a certain level: the first €77.35 per year (applicable from 1 September 2023) is reimbursed in full. Beyond that, it will contribute 80% or 88%.
All Luxembourgers are affiliated to it and all employees, self-employed workers and pensioners in Luxembourg are obliged to pay contributions.
Reimbursements are based on partial third-party payments: you advance part of the cost directly to your dentist and then claim reimbursement. That said, this principle is still very rarely applied. The vast majority of doctors ask for the bill to be paid in full, leaving the patient to submit a claim for reimbursement to the CNS.
Supplementary health insurance
You are free to take out supplementary health insurance to make up for the shortfall under the CNS scheme, either by receiving higher (often full) reimbursement or by paying for treatment not covered by the Caisse Nationale.
Foyer offers supplementary health insurance that also covers you abroad and pays for treatment following a medical procedure. Discover medicis hospi+ and medicis confort
| Type of treatment | CNS reimbursement | Supplementary Foyer reimbursement |
| Tartar removal | 100% of the fixed amount twice a calendar year (once only for periodontal scaling) | |
| Restorative care (cavity treatment, fillings, root canal treatment, etc.) | 88% of the fixed amount (80% for composite fillings) | 100%* |
| Prosthetic treatment (crowns, bridges, implants, removable prostheses) | 80% of the fixed amount | 100%* |
| Surgical treatment (dental extractions, cysts, abscesses, tumours, etc.) | 88% of the fixed amount (80% for wisdom teeth extractions) | 100%* |
| Orthodontic treatment (fixed or removable appliances) | Up to €1600 (over 4 months) | Up to €3200 (over 4 months) or €1,600 without CNS contribution |
* With medicis confort supplementary health insurance. Refer to our general terms and conditions for details of reimbursement terms and conditions and the various ceilings depending on the type of treatment.
Reimbursement scenarios: the main scenarios
Adults with supplementary health insurance
If you have supplementary health insurance such as medicis, there’s not much to worry about. With a few exceptions, all dental costs and treatments are covered at 100%. This applies to both routine care and more complex treatments.
The supplementary health cover is reimbursed after the CNS contribution to top up the amount not covered.
Adults without supplementary health insurance
If you rely solely on CNS health insurance, you will already receive a good level of reimbursement for routine treatments such as tartar removal (reimbursed at 100% twice a year) or cavity treatment (88%).
Be aware, however, that for more complex treatments, you may still have to pay a large part of the amount. Some treatment is only reimbursed up to 80% and extra charges are not covered.
Children
Children are taken care of. Up to the age of 18, most of their dental treatment is covered at 100% by the Luxembourg health insurance system.
It is important to note that you may need prior authorisation from the CNS for certain dental treatments for your children, such as braces or major orthodontic treatment.
Brushing children’s teeth can quickly become an ordeal. Discover our tips to make it more fun.
Reimbursement process
To obtain reimbursement of your dental expenses from the CNS, you need to submit your reimbursement claims accompanied by detailed, receipted invoices from the dental practitioner. The repayment procedure is generally straightforward, and the funds are usually paid directly into your bank account within a few weeks.
Requesting reimbursement via your medicis health insurance is much simpler: everything can be done via the MyFoyer app, which also allows you to track the progress of your claim.
So don’t forget your supplementary insurance
In conclusion, the Luxembourg health system offers substantial cover for dental treatment through compulsory health insurance, with the option of taking out supplementary insurance for seamless cover. Here is the link to the main advantages of medicis supplementary health insurance
