The fact that a practitioner belongs to a sector makes it possible to know whether the doctor is under contract or not and thus to know your level of reimbursement. 


  • Doctors with a sector 1 agreement  


  • A doctor practising in sector 1 is a doctor with a Social Security agreement. He or she charges a fixed fee without exceeding his or her fees. 
  • His fees correspond to the rates that serve as a basis for reimbursement by the health insurance fund (the convention rates). 
  • Your mutual insurance company can supplement the reimbursement from the social security. 
  • Your remaining expenses are almost nil. 


  • Doctors with a sector 2 agreement  


  • These are doctors who have signed an agreement but "free of charge". They freely set their own tariffs and are therefore inclined to overcharge their fees. 
  • Social security reimburses the consultation with a sector 2 doctor on the basis of the basic tariff. 
  • Your mutual insurance company can supplement the social security reimbursement. 
  • An amount may remain at your expense. 


  • Doctors who do not have a sector 3 agreement  


  • These are doctors who have not signed any agreement with social security. They apply tariffs independently. For example, if a non-registered doctor charges you 30 euros for a consultation. In this case, the Social Security will only reimburse you 3 euros (a fixed contribution of 1 euro deducted).
  • The remaining costs that you have to pay are all the more important as sector 3 practitioners often charge extra fees.
  • Your remaining expenses can be very high.