A call has been made for immediate funding to address a backlog in applications for the Cross-Border Directive.
Fianna Fáil TD for Donegal, Charlie McConalogue, has said that the request for additional resources by the Cross-Border Directive team must be approved immediately by the Minister for Health and the HSE.
The HSE revealed that there are currently 3,500 applications for reimbursement and prior authorisation waiting to be processed. It is taking approximately 13 weeks to process applications.
Deputy McConalogue said that Cross-Border team have been proactive in their approach to seeking additional staff and resources due to a rapidly increasing demand on the service.
“The cross-border directive provides people who are languishing on waiting lists with an alternative option by giving them the opportunity to avail of health services in another European country. They can then recoup costs from the HSE for the amount of that treatment in Ireland, or the cost of the treatment abroad, if that is less,” Mr McConalogue said.
“However, their requests have been met by radio silence from the HSE and the Minister while patients are left waiting on reimbursements which in many cases can be thousands of euros.”
McConalogue said the delays are “unacceptable” and “indicative of how the health system is run under our Government in that a scheme that aims to relieve the pressure on the public waiting list is also under resourced.”
He called on the Minister and HSE to come together to approve this funding request.
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