Ireland
Treatment in Cyprus, and the paperwork that goes with it.
If you are on a public waiting list in Ireland, the Cross-Border Directive may let you be treated in another EU country and claim the cost back from the HSE afterwards. Cyprus is an EU member state. The HSE decides whether you qualify and what you receive. We do the treatment, and the part of the paperwork that comes from this end.
How it works
You pay us. You claim. The HSE pays you.
The money never moves between us and the HSE. You are treated in Cyprus, you pay for your treatment, and you apply afterwards for repayment with the receipts and the forms. That is the whole mechanism, and it is why we can never tell you what you will get back — that figure is the HSE’s to decide.
What we can do is make the claim as easy to file as it can be. Every document you need from this side is prepared in English, in the form the HSE asks for, before you fly home.
What you get from us for the claim
- The treating-provider section of the HSE forms, completed and signed in English by your surgeon, with their registration details.
- An itemised invoice and proof of payment in the form the HSE asks for.
- A discharge summary in English, written to hand to your own doctor.
- A named Patient Manager who answers the phone while you are here and afterwards.
Before you plan around it
Two things that catch people out.
The referral has to be a public one
It must come from a GP or a consultant you see as a public patient, and it must be dated before your consultation abroad. A private outpatient appointment cannot be used for a Cross-Border Directive claim under any circumstances. Having private health insurance does not disqualify you, but you cannot use it for the referral.
You pay first, and wait
Repayment comes after treatment, on receipts. The HSE aims at thirty working days from complete documents and says it is running longer than that, so plan for several months. Some Irish credit unions lend against exactly this and are repaid when the money arrives. We are happy to point you at the ones that publish the product; we take nothing from them and we do not arrange finance ourselves.
Solence Health is a private company in Cyprus. We are not connected with the HSE, not approved by it and not paid by it. Applying to the scheme is free and you may do it yourself.
For referring doctors
You do not have to name us.
Medisec advises that where you would rather not name a provider abroad, you can write your usual referral to an Irish public hospital and your patient may use it under the Cross-Border Directive. You assess and refer exactly as you would today. We are not asking you to endorse a facility you have not seen.
We do not pay for referrals, and we will not ask you to. No fee, no gift, no arrangement of any kind is offered to a doctor who refers a patient to us.
What we send you afterwards
- The operating surgeon’s name and registration number, before your patient travels.
- A discharge summary in English, written for the doctor picking up care.
- A written aftercare plan, including when your patient is fit to fly home and what prophylaxis they are on.
- A named person to call if something is wrong, for as long as it takes.
Questions
What people ask us first
Can I claim back the cost of treatment in Cyprus?
Possibly. Cyprus is an EU member state, and the Cross-Border Directive allows a public patient in Ireland to be treated in another member state and apply to the HSE afterwards for repayment. Whether you qualify, and how much you receive, is decided by the HSE and not by us. We never tell a patient what they will get back.
Who has to refer me?
A GP or a consultant you see as a public patient. A private outpatient appointment cannot be used for a Cross-Border Directive claim under any circumstances, and the referral has to be dated before your consultation abroad. If you are not sure which you had, ask the practice.
Do I pay first?
Yes. You pay for your treatment, and you apply to the HSE for repayment afterwards on receipts. The HSE aims to repay within thirty working days of receiving complete documents and says it is currently running longer, so plan for several months between paying and being repaid. Some Irish credit unions lend for exactly this and are repaid when the money comes through.
Do I need approval before I travel?
For a hip or knee replacement, no. Ireland requires prior authorisation for very few treatments and this is not one of them. You can, if you prefer, submit a prior notification and have the HSE confirm an indicative figure before you commit. It is optional, it costs nothing, and we think it is worth doing.
Are you connected with the HSE?
No. We are a private company in Cyprus. We are not connected with the HSE, not approved by it, and not paid by it. Applying to the scheme is free and you can do it yourself. What we provide is the treatment and the paperwork from this end.
What do you give me for the claim?
The treating-provider section of the HSE forms completed and signed in English by your surgeon, with their registration details; an itemised invoice and proof of payment in the form the HSE asks for; and a discharge summary in English to give your own doctor.
Tell us where you are, and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
A written answer within four working hours. No cost, and no obligation to go anywhere.
If you work with older people in Ireland and would like to tell them this option exists, write to us at info@solencehealth.com and we will send you something plain to hand on.