Health Minister Popi Kanari has thrown her support behind a plan to transfer the process of sending patients abroad to the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO).
Speaking after a meeting of the House committee, Kanari confirmed the proposal.
“The president announced that the HIO would assume the responsibility of referring patients who are beneficiaries of Gesy abroad,” she said.
She added that the health ministry will “provide all possible assistance” to the HIO for the “successful and quick transfer of the management” of the system to the HIO.
In addition, she confirmed that legislation to allow such a move has already passed through parliament, and that the current move is “nothing more than compliance” with existing laws.
Currently, patients who require treatment abroad have their case examined by a committee attached to the health ministry, chaired by the ministry’s permanent secretary Christina Yiannaki.
Part of the initial plans, for patients not covered by Gesy and urgent incidents to remain under the control of the ministry were earlier slammed by the audit service, which said it considered the idea “bad practice”.
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