Irish People Should Be Told About Cross Border Health Directive

The Health Service Executive should inform the public about the Cross Border Health Directive (CBD), that allows Irish people to access health services in other EU countries.

Labour TD Jack Wall made the call, which he said was "very useful to anybody who is travelling abroad and wishes to access health treatment while they are away."

The CBD scheme allows anybody who is entitled to public health services in Ireland to access these services abroad. An Irish person who gets healthcare in another European country under the scheme will be reimbursed to the amount that it would cost to carry out this treatment in a hospital in Ireland. The CBD covers all health services which are publicly available in Ireland and there is no charge to apply to the scheme.

Deputy Wall said: "(The scheme) means that accessing health services abroad is not dependent on a person’s means and I hope that the HSE will run a comprehensive information campaign to ensure that the general public are informed that this facility is available."

More information and an application form is available here.

(MH)