Health insurance in Luxembourg

Luxembourg operates a mandatory social security system run by the Caisse nationale de santé (CNS). Employees are affiliated through their employer, the self-employed when they register. The CNS reimburses 88% of consultations with a GP or specialist (100% under 18) at the agreed rates, and medicines at 80% at the standard rate, 40% or 100% depending on their category.

The remaining share, known as the ticket modérateur, is yours to pay. For dental prostheses, optical care, a private room and alternative medicine, CNS cover is limited or absent. This is where a complementary health plan comes in, within the ceilings of each plan.

The CNS provides solid baseline cover, but several items are only partly covered or excluded entirely:

• Hospitalisation: a private room is not covered by the CNS; the supplement is a matter for a complementary plan.
• Dental care: routine care is covered at the agreed rates, but prostheses (crowns, bridges, implants) are reimbursed at only 80%, or 100% if you can show an annual preventive visit over the two previous years. Orthodontics is covered only under conditions.
• Optical care: the frame is capped at €30 every three years; lenses are covered at the agreed rates.
• Alternative medicine: osteopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture and naturopathy are generally not reimbursed by the CNS.
• Care abroad: emergency care is covered within the EU via the European Health Insurance Card, but cover outside the EU is limited.

For every item with its 2026 rate, see our table of CNS reimbursements; for hospital care, see our article on hospital stays in Luxembourg.

Complementary health plans in Luxembourg vary in scope and price. Understanding the main categories helps you choose wisely:

• Basic ambulatory plans - Cover the ticket modérateur on GP and specialist visits, prescriptions and basic diagnostics. Affordable starting point for healthy individuals.
• Hospitalization plans - Focus on private room upgrades, free choice of surgeon and extended in-hospital benefits. Essential if you value comfort during hospital stays.
• Comprehensive plans - Combine ambulatory, hospital, dental, optical and alternative medicine coverage. The most complete, and therefore the most expensive.

Premiums depend on your age, chosen coverage level and any pre-existing conditions. Most plans allow you to add dental and optical modules separately. If you are an expat or cross-border worker, choose a top-up plan designed for the Luxembourg scheme: CMCM, for example, is open to cross-border workers from the neighbouring regions.

These three items account for most out-of-pocket costs, and are the main reason to consider a complementary plan.

Dental: routine care is covered at the agreed rates, but prostheses are reimbursed at only 80% (100% with an annual preventive visit over the two previous years), and adult orthodontics remains largely out of pocket. A complementary plan reimburses beyond that, within its ceilings: up to €3,500 a year for prostheses at CMCM, for example. Our article on what the CNS reimburses for dental care goes through each item.

Optical: the CNS caps the frame at €30 every three years. For a quality frame or progressive lenses, most of the cost stays out of pocket without a top-up plan; DKV, for example, provides €500 of eyewear every two years in its EASY HEALTH plan.

Alternative medicine: osteopathy, acupuncture and chiropractic are generally not reimbursed by the CNS. Some plans include an annual allowance for these treatments.

While anyone can benefit from reduced out-of-pocket costs, certain profiles find a complementary plan particularly valuable:

• Families with children - Paediatric dental, orthodontics and regular check-ups add up quickly. At CMCM, the whole family is co-insured at no extra cost.
• Expats and new residents - Coming from a country with different healthcare norms, you may expect a level of coverage that the CNS alone cannot provide. A complementary plan bridges this gap.
• Professionals over 40 - As preventive check-ups and specialist visits increase with age, the ticket modérateur becomes a meaningful expense that complementary coverage offsets.
• Anyone needing regular therapy - If you rely on physiotherapy, osteopathy or ongoing dental work, out-of-pocket costs add up quickly, and a complementary plan absorbs part of them.

If you also need to protect your loved ones financially, consider exploring life insurance alongside your health coverage.