Filenews 30 May 2022
With abuses being one of the major issues affecting the GHS, the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) adopted last March a special Action Plan, seeking to effectively address abuses.
According to the organization's announcement, one of the abuses observed in the System is the large number of unsubstantiated referrals issued by Personal Doctors (PDs) to other GHS providers. The framework of the Action Plan, the HIO proceeds with the implementation of a series of measures related to the improvement of the operation of the institution of the PD and the referral system.
The measures include, inter alia, the application of performance indicators linked to the remuneration of PDs relating to the behaviour of PDs in relation to referrals issued to OS. It also examines referrals for laboratory tests and radiodiagnostic tests. At the same time, the HIO intensifies the quality control of referrals issued by PDs, as well as the process of taking measures to PDs that do not comply with the Organization's instructions. In addition, other measures to improve the institution of the PD are promoted, such as the implementation of referral guidelines, trainings, age criteria for the participation of doctors in the System, etc.
It should be noted that the proper functioning of the institution of the PD is particularly important since its purpose is to provide effective primary health care as well as guidance to beneficiaries to receive services they need from other GHS providers. The proper functioning of the institution and the referral system leads to the discharge of specialists from cases that do not need specialized treatment. It also achieves the most effective use of the System's resources, ensuring equal access to health care services for beneficiaries in need.
The General Health System is the greatest social conquest since the founding of the Republic of Cyprus and it is the duty of all of us to preserve it.
