Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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133. To ask the Minister for Health the basis on which the HSE national contact point for the cross-border directive EU2011/24 places a limit for reimbursement for outpatient diagnostic procedures at the level of €130 (details supplied). [29296/17]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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134. To ask the Minister for Health the legislative basis on which the HSE national contact point for the cross-border directive EU2011/24 places a limit for reimbursement for outpatient diagnostic procedures of €130 (details supplied). [29297/17]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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136. To ask the Minister for Health if he will direct the HSE to establish a similar ready reckoner for all outpatient diagnostic procedures provided by the HSE for persons wishing to avail of treatment under the terms of the cross-border directive EU 2011/24 in view of the fact that the HSE NCP for the cross-border directive EU 2011/24 operates a ready reckoner for medical consultants to establish the HSE cost for procedures carried out under the terms of the cross-border directive. [29299/17]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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172. To ask the Minister for Health the details of the operation of the cross-border directive; the number of persons that availed of this scheme in the past year and to date in 2017, by the location in which the treatment was carried out; and the type of treatment and costs involved, in tabular form. [29422/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 133, 134, 136 and 172 together.

The Directive on Patients' Rights in Cross Border Healthcare provides rules for the reimbursement of patients' of the cost of receiving treatment abroad, where the patient would be entitled to such treatment in their home Member State (Member State of Affiliation) and supplements the rights that patients already have at EU level through the legislation on the coordination of social security schemes (Regulation 883/04). The Directive seeks to ensure a clear and transparent framework for the provision of cross- border healthcare within the EU, for those occasions where the care patients seek is provided in another Member State rather than in their home country. S.I. 203 of 2014 provides the legal basis for the Health Service Executive to operate the EU Directive on Patients' Rights in Cross Border Healthcare in Ireland, including the reimbursement of the cost of treatment.. Under the provisions of the S.I. the HSE is charged with determining the cost of providing such healthcare in the State for the purposes of deciding on the correct reimbursement rate.

Under the Directive, insured patients are entitled to have costs of cross-border healthcare service reimbursed if the healthcare service in question is among the benefits to which they are entitled in their Member State of affiliation. The HSE is pro-active in advising potential users of the Scheme that reimbursement will be at the cost of the treatment availed of abroad or the cost of providing the healthcare in Ireland whichever is the lesser. The patient is notified of this by the HSE in numerous ways: via the HSE website or in response to phone queries; on the Pro-forma invoice to be used for cases where an overnight in-patient stay is not required; and the letters issued in response to prior authorisation applications for cases involving an overnight in-patient stay will advise the actual amount to be reimbursed, based on the treatment code/s provided by the treating/referring consultant in the application form. The HSE also advises where a patient is in any doubt as to the need to seek prior authorization before availing of a consultation or treatment abroad to contact the National Contact Point. The NCP is able at that stage to advise patients of the indicative reimbursement rate that will apply to the assessment/treatment being accessed.

As some of the issues raised, namely the rates set for, and the issue of a ready reckoner for, out patient diagnostic procedures are come and the numbers who have received treatment, are under the remit of the HSE, I have asked the HSE to examine these matters and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.