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If you do not have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or you have a cross-border prescription, you will have to pay for the medicines/medical devices in advance at the point-of-service in EU/EEA member states or Switzerland. If you are entitled to reimbursement you can claim it from your statutory health insurance service when you get home.
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
By presenting a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in an EU/EEA member state and Switzerland, you have the right to prescribe and have access to a medicine/medical product with the same rules as those insured in the national health system of the state you are visiting. However, this only applies if the prescription is issued in the same country due to a sudden illness or injury during your stay. In this case, the costs will be settled directly between the healthcare provider abroad and the national health service of that country. The foreign national health service will then liaise with your own statutory health insurance service at home to obtain refund.
Cross-border prescriptions
When visiting an EU/EEA country and you do not have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or your prescription has been issued in a different EE/EEA country (cross-border prescription), you will have to pay for the medicines/medical devices upfront. In this case, you can claim cost reimbursement from your statutory health insurance service upon your return back home. More information on cross-border prescriptions is available here.
EOPYY-insured persons who claim cost reimbursement for medicines or medical devices/products they have purchased using a cross-border prescription should be aware that:
- Only medicines that are included in the positive list of prescription medicines are reimbursed.
- Only the medical devices/products provided pursuant to the Unified Regulation of Health Benefits (EKPY) are reimbursed.
- For medicines requiring pre-approval by the EOPYY-Health Committees for example high cost medicines for chronic or rare diseases, ivf medicines, the insured person is reimbursed if he has received the relevant approval.
- Medicinal products are not reimbursed for treatments other than the approved indications of the medicines, unless the insured have received the relevant approval from the competent Committee of the National Organization for Medicines (EOF).
- The reimbursement of the medicines is according to the insurance price valid in Greece, reduced by the amount of patient’s co-payment.
- The high cost medicines for chronic or rare diseases, which are distributed by EOPYY-Pharmacies in Greece are reimbursed according to the current EOPYY-supply price of the high cost medicines.
- Medicines, which are imported in Greece through the Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Technology (IFET) are reimbursed according to the prices set by IFET or according to the price on the purchase receipt, if it is lower that IFET pricing, reduced by the amount of patient’s co-payment.
For further information on EOPYY- cost reimbursement of medicines, you may contact the EOPYY-Department for Medicines at the email: d6@eopyy.gov.gr.
For further information on EOPYY-cost reimburemet of medical products/devices, you may contact the EOPYY-Unit for Medical Products/Devices at the email: d8.t7@eopyy.gov.gr
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