Free treatment abroad: almost half of applications rejected

The Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) rejected 42% of referrals of Cypriot patients for treatment abroad. A total of 146 applications have been submitted since the launch of the programme, reports In-Cyprus. The main reason for refusals is errors in medical documentation and incomplete data in the applications.

The programme started on October 2. Out of all requests, five involved life-threatening cases. They were processed through HIO’s 24/7 service: patients were sent abroad for treatment within 48 hours.

Rejection because there is no urgency.
As of November 6, 133 out of 146 applications have been reviewed. The HIO noted that all rejected applications were not urgent: no life-threatening conditions were found, and the requested procedures are available in Cyprus under the GeSY healthcare system.

In some cases, after correcting inaccuracies in the documents, approvals for treatment abroad were granted. Some appeals are still under review.

Serious reasons are required for treatment abroad.
The main reasons for referring patients abroad were organ transplants, post-transplant monitoring, paediatric oncology and complex orthopaedic cases.

Even if a request is rejected on the merits, patients retain the right to cross-border medical care within the European Union. In this case, citizens pay for treatment abroad themselves and then apply to the HIO for reimbursement according to GeSY rules.