Filenews 20 October 2023 - by Marilena Panayi
A significant increase in the number of home nursing care visits to patients belonging to specific categories was decided and announced yesterday by the Health Insurance Organization.
In fact, in some cases, the number of visits to patients' homes has increased fivefold, while in most categories of patients visits have doubled.
The changes, as noted in the announcement sent by the HIO to doctors and nurses, "concern GHS beneficiaries undergoing dialysis, patients with specific chronic diseases and patients using catheters and stomas".
It is important to mention that until now, for all these categories of bedridden patients there was a right to only 12 visits to their homes per year.
The biggest increase in the number of visits is for ventilator-supported patients, who will now be eligible for up to 60 visits, increased from 12. Also, patients who need tracheostomy care will have 40 visits available. Visits are increased from 12 to 40, while for all other categories of patients the ceiling is now set at 24 (instead of 12) visits per year. The new HIO planning will be implemented from 1 November.
