Luxembourg Health, Maternity Insurance Scheme Set to Suffer €25.8m Operating Loss

Luxembourg's Ministry of Health and Social Security has provided an update on the financial situation of the health and maternity insurance scheme.

The quadripartite committee met at the Opderschmelz cultural centre in Dudelange on Wednesday 21 May 2025, chaired by Luxembourg's Minister of Health and Social Security, Martine Deprez, and in close collaboration with the Minister of Finance, Gilles Roth, to prepare for its autumn 2025 meeting.

Provided for in Article 80 of the Social Security Code, the quadripartite committee is convened by the minister responsible for social security and brings together all parties involved in the governance and operation of health and maternity insurance. In this case, they are the government, representatives of the professional employee and employer organisations, as well as healthcare provider representatives. The committee examines the evolution of health revenue and expenditure and proposes legal, regulatory, contractual or statutory measures to be taken in the area of ​​health insurance, as well as any other measures intended to improve the efficiency of the health system, taking into account the needs of the population, developments in medical technology and available resources.

On Wednesday, the quadripartite committee examined the financial situation of the health and maternity insurance scheme for 2024 and presented its forecasts for 2025.

The committee also provided a progress update on the working groups dedicated to "funding trajectory recovery" and "absenteeism for health reasons". These working groups were established following the work of the previous quadripartite committee meeting of 6 November 2024, as forecasts confirmed a trend toward financial imbalance in current operations in the medium and long term.

Financial situation

The ministry noted that the committee's previous forecasts (from November 2024) have been confirmed. For the 2024 fiscal year, the current operations balance continued to follow the downward trend observed since 2020; the financial situation of health and maternity insurance is expected to post an operating loss of €25.8 million.

Current expenditure also remains high in 2025, with the latest forecasts showing a deficit of about €132.6 million (i.e. 16.5% of current expenses) for the 2025 fiscal year.

Multi-year projections indicate continued consumption of the reserve, with a risk of reaching the minimum legal threshold of 10% as early as 2027.

Working groups

Since November 2024, representatives of the Health Ministry, the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF), the General Inspectorate of Social Security (IGSS), the National Health Fund (CNS) and social partners (the OGBL, LCGB, CGDP and UEL unions) have met four times under the chairmanship of the Health Minister to work on proposals for a structural recovery of the funding trajectory.

Several avenues are currently under consideration and were discussed during the four-party meeting. The proposed measures will be presented at the next quadripartite meeting in autumn 2025.

For its part, the working group for "absenteeism for health reasons" has met twice under the chairmanship of the Health Minister since November 2024. Representatives of the Health Ministry, the Social Security Medical Board (CMSS), the IGSS, the CNS, the Employers' Mutual Insurance Scheme (MDE) and the social partners (OGBL, LCGB, CGFP, UEL) conducted a detailed review of the figures for absenteeism for health reasons, following an in-depth analysis by the IGSS.

Several avenues of discussion have been initiated with a view to formulating proposals for action. The results of this work will be presented at the next quadripartite meeting.

Minister Deprez thanked all stakeholders for the work carried out to date and concluded: "We have all recognised that there is an urgent need to act, and I am confident that by the autumn of 2025, a list of measures to restore the health and maternity insurance situation will be ready."