AND THE FUCKOLOGY CONTINUES .YOU CANT GO ON HOLIDAY BUT>>>>>The number of patients approved to have their operations performed abroad and reimbursed by the Health Service Executive is increasing significantly, according to new figures provided to RTÉ News.
When the scheme started during 2014, there were just seven cases approved but last year the figure rose to almost 5,000 patients.
Already so far this year, 3,130 claims have been reimbursed at a cost of over €10 million.
Last year the scheme cost over €13 million.
The main inpatient care availed of abroad is for orthopaedics, ear, nose and throat, gynaecology and neurology treatment.
For outpatients, the main treatments are in ophthalmology, orthodontics, ENT and neurology.
Surgery and outpatient consultations are covered.
The treatments are provided under the EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive, which allows patients to have healthcare they are entitled to here, in another country in the EU, or the European Economic Area.
Patients can access this care in the public or private sector in another EU country.
With 780,000 patients here on some form of hospital waiting list, patients are using the system to avoid long waits in Ireland.
According to Catherine Donohoe, HSE General Manager Acute Hospitals & head of the Cross Border Directive Unit, the use of the scheme is growing every year.
While applications slowed in March due to Covid-19, there was a significant backlog of claims to work through and some of that is reflected in the latest figures.
Patients do not have to be on a waiting list to access the treatment abroad.
However, they must be a public patient here, the treatment a person wants to access must be one that the patient would have been eligible for here and the patient must have an appropriate referral, usually from a GP.
Patients cannot access any part of the healthcare they are seeking in Ireland.
The patient pays up front for the treatment and then supplies the HSE with the invoices and receipts for reimbursement.
The HSE reimburses the cost of the treatment in Ireland, or the cost of the treatment abroad, whichever is the lesser.
The reimbursement rates are published on the HSE website.