Ministry of Health transfers the service of referrals for treatment abroad to the Health Insurance Organization

The Ministry of Health of Cyprus is preparing to transfer the patient referral service for treatment abroad to the Health Insurance Organization (HIO). Minister Michalis Damianos announced that the last day for submitting applications to the Ministry will be September 19; HIO will officially start accepting and processing requests on October 2. During the transition period, from September 19 to October 1, the Ministry will continue to handle urgent cases.

According to the minister, HIO staff have been trained at the Ministry for about three months, the planning has been completed, and some procedural changes are expected, which should not create problems for patients. At the same time, the Ministry will retain responsibility for approximately 15–20% of referrals concerning persons who are not GHS beneficiaries, since HIO cannot legally process such cases.

Subsidies for patient companions will remain under the Ministry’s responsibility; officials acknowledge delays in payments and have increased staff to process accumulated invoices. In very urgent cases, advance payments may be made, while a review of outstanding invoices and simplification of procedures is underway.

What this means for Cyprus residents: patients and doctors must submit applications for treatment abroad to the Ministry by September 19; after October 2 — to HIO. Those expecting companion allowances should take possible delays into account and keep copies of documents to speed up processing.