HIO updates parliament on overseas medical treatment program performance

Since October 2025, when the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) assumed management of the program for medical treatment abroad, 1,234 applications have been submitted. Of these, 889 were approved, representing a 72% approval rate. According to HIO director Monika Kyriakou, who presented these findings to the parliamentary Health Committee, 657 patients have traveled or remain abroad for specialized care under the GHS system.

The HIO has implemented strict efficiency targets for processing requests. Life-threatening cases are evaluated in an average of 42 minutes and patients are transferred within one day. Urgent cases receive decisions in one day with transfers occurring in four days, while routine cases are decided within six days and finalized in 22 days. All figures fall within established internal benchmarks. Emergency requests are handled via a 24-hour dedicated phone line staffed by supervisors to ensure immediate response.

The parliamentary session highlighted ongoing concerns regarding the system, specifically addressing procedural delays, the selection of specialized medical centers, and the need for increased financial support for both patients and their accompanying relatives. The HIO maintains that its standardized framework ensures equal treatment for all applicants, replacing the previous ad hoc approach utilized by the Ministry of Health. Lawmakers continue to examine these processes to improve overall patient outcomes.