MPs call for upfront support for families of patients treated abroad
Parliament’s health committee discussed advance payments for travel and accommodation costs and delays in approvals for repeat overseas treatment.
Nicosia, Cyprus. MPs called on Thursday for the state to pay in advance, in full or in substantial part, the travel and accommodation costs incurred by families of patients receiving treatment abroad.
Reimbursement delays
The issue of overseas patient referrals was discussed by the House health committee.
Patients are referred abroad when the required treatment is unavailable at Cyprus state hospitals. Under the current system, a patient’s family member or escort submits a reimbursement claim after treatment has been completed.
MPs said delays in reimbursements can leave families unable to cover expenses while abroad, and proposed that payments be made upfront.
Repeat treatment applications
Lawmakers also discussed cases in which the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) has not approved ongoing or repeat treatment abroad.
The HIO took responsibility for overseas patient referrals from the health ministry in October 2025 and introduced different protocols.
Patients who had previously received approval from the health ministry but require ongoing or repeat treatment abroad must submit a new application. MPs said this has caused delays and, in some cases, refusals.
The HIO said it was aware of the issue and was making every effort to prevent inconvenience.
This news item was generated automatically by Cyprus Inform from publicly available materials. Report an error →