Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 April 2016
271. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on hospital waiting lists who are eligible to avail of the cross-border treatment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7325/16]
View answer272. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on waiting lists from the Fingal area who are eligible to avail of the cross-border treatment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7326/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 271 and 272 together.
The EU Directive 2011/24/EU on Patients’ Rights in Cross Border Healthcare aims to ensure EU citizens may access safe and good quality healthcare services across EU borders. The Directive establishes a framework for cross border healthcare between EU/EEA states to facilitate patients to access care in another Member State in accordance with their entitlements in their own country. Under the Directive, known as the Cross Border Healthcare Directive (CBD), insured patients are entitled to have the costs of cross-border healthcare services reimbursed if the healthcare service in question is among the benefits to which they are entitled in their Member State of affiliation. As such, it allows Irish residents to avail of healthcare in other EU or EEA (excluding Switzerland) Member States that they would be entitled to within the public health system in Ireland, which is not contrary to Irish legislation.
Public patients may access the healthcare they require in either the public or private healthcare system of the country abroad under CBD. Access to healthcare abroad is based on patients following public patient pathways - i.e. patients must demonstrate they have followed the equivalent public patient pathways that a patient would follow if accessing public healthcare in Ireland. Referral for care under the CBD may be made by a GP, a hospital consultant and certain other HSE clinicians. The CBD excludes certain health services, e.g. services of public health, long term care, organ transplantation, etc. All persons on public waiting lists, other than for such exempt health services, are eligible for the Scheme.
