The anti-CAM policy (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) of Belgian Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit, socialist party) reached a new low point. On May 19, 2026, he made national headlines with yet another reckless statement. He demanded that the health insurance funds stop reimbursing acupuncture and homeopathy. His reason: "There is no evidence whatsoever that this actually cures." For those who do want to read, we gladly refer to the website of HRI (Homeopathy Research Institute).
His statement is likely also driven by the billions in savings his government is pursuing. However, an estimated only 4 to 6% of patients choose homeopathy or acupuncture, including those who schedule only a single such consultation per year. The expected "savings" will therefore be negligible.
All this fits rather into a broader framework of the nationalization and paternalism of healthcare. As a result, Minister Vandenbroucke is also on a collision course with many other Belgian healthcare providers. Politicians armed with statistics, not doctors or patients, determine who receives which treatment or examination, failing which financial penalties follow.
On the same day as this interview, Sophie MG wrote an open letter to Minister Vandenbroucke, which was widely shared. With her approval, we are publishing that text.
The letter is powerful and inventive, and shows that things can be done differently: with room and respect for the doctor, and certainly for the patient, in an integrative health policy.
