There are many different reasons for patients to choose to be treated in another country. In certain cases, such a choice is dictated by the need to apply a particular treatment that can’t be provided in the home country. Some countries have better equipped hospitals and specialized medical teams who have expertise to carry out complex and often life-saving operations i.e. for rare or acute diseases. In other cases, traveling to another country for treatment can be dictated by purely economic reasons - in short, due to lower prices of treatment.
Whether you are planning on having treatment or surgery abroad it is best to consult at least two different experts and get acquainted in advance with all possible information about the upcoming treatment.
If you or someone close to you need treatment abroad, here are some basic starting points that you may find helpful:
Commission for treatment abroad (in Bulgaria)
Commission for Treatment Abroad is mandated to 'provide Bulgarian citizens with medical services outside the scope of mandatory health insurance, which are related to the payment of treatment for these diseases in specialized facilities abroad.'
Bulgarian Ministry of Health (MoH) pays for the treatment of Bulgarian citizens abroad, when 'not enough efficient appliances, methods or specialists for treatment of a specific disease are available in Bulgaria' The dedicated commission can consider whether those conditions are met in each case.
Planned medical treatment abroad
You have a right to medical treatment in another EU country on the same terms and at the same cost as people living in that country.
However, some countries may restrict access to certain types of healthcare. To see what restrictions apply, if any, contact the National Contact Point for the country where you want to be treated.
You may also be able to get some or all of your costs covered. Read more about expenses and reimbursements for your planned medical treatment.
Make sure you use the right form for your social security rights.
How to organise your treatment abroad
To find a hospital, medical establishment, or other healthcare provider offering the treatment you need in another EU country, you can:
• ask your local health insurer
• ask your National Contact Point, or the contact point of the country where you are considering treatment
• find a provider yourself directly
Before going abroad for treatment:
• check with your National Contact Point or ask your health insurer if you need prior authorization
• check whether your costs will be covered and the consequences of any choices you make
Be aware that healthcare systems in other EU countries may not work in the same way as healthcare in your home country.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Planned mecical treatment abroad (European Union)
What do you have to do if you would like to go to another EU country for a planned medical procedure.
First, check that your national health system or insurance covers the planned treatment. Then, you can decide how you want the costs of treatment to be covered.
You can be reimbursed according to the conditions and reimbursement rates in the country where the treatment takes place. If you choose this option, you can access publicly provided healthcare, and you'll need to apply to your national health insurance body for prior authorisation (form S2) to go abroad for treatment.
If you have a right under national law to the treatment you're applying for, but it can't be provided within a medically reasonable time, authorisation must be granted. If you're not automatically entitled to the treatment, however, your national health insurance body is free to refuse authorisation if it so decides.
Provided that you have obtained form S2, the costs of treatment will be reimbursed in accordance with the rules in the country where you are treated. This will be dealt with by the relevant institutions in your home country and the country of treatment so as a rule you will not have to pay upfront.
You can also opt to pay upfront for treatment and claim reimbursement later according to the reimbursement rates applied for the same treatment in the country where you are insured. If you are insured in a country that does not use reimbursement, then there will be a tariff corresponding to the cost of that treatment to the system.
It doesn't matter whether the hospital or clinic which will be treating you is public or private.
In some limited cases you may have to apply for prior authorisation - check this with your health insurance body or National Contact Point. Again, your application must be granted if you would otherwise have to wait too long for treatment at home.
Rare diseases
In case you suffer from a rare disease which cannot be treated in you home country and/or it isn't covered by you national healthcare system:
The cost of your treatment abroad is covered only if the national social security system in the country where you are insured covers it. If it doesn't, your national health insurance body is not obliged to authorise treatment abroad or to reimburse the costs (although, of course, it may choose to do so).
Contact your national authorities to find out what options are available to you.
Source: http://europa.eu
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