FOREIGN nationals living and working legally in Cyprus are entitled to the same medical cover as locals, with the Health Ministry reassuring applicants they will not get lost in a bureaucratic maze.
To receive a Cyprus medical card, foreigners will need to submit an E121 form and supporting documents; the means-tested card provides health care coverage at state hospitals, with the holders entitled to inpatient and outpatient treatment, medicines and some types of surgery. Coverage applies only to state hospitals.
According to Eleni Parouti, senior administrative officer at the Health Ministry, out of the some 9,000 UK nationals residing in Cyprus around 3,800 have already filed an E121 application form. Applications are being received continuously, and so far approximately 2,000 medical cards have been issued.
As is the case for Cypriots, as a rule medical cards are not issued per individual, but per family. The most common type of card, coloured pink, shows the holder’s name, dependants, the card’s expiry date, card’s serial number, and the holder’s identity card number.
Blue and yellow cards are issued to other categories, and cover only part of the cost of medical care. The pink card provides 100 per cent free care.
To be eligible for the pink card, applicants must be permanent residents and provide proof in writing of medical coverage in their country of citizenship, enabling the reciprocal agreement between that country and Cyprus to be used.
In addition to announcements and prospectuses circulated by the Health Ministry, those interested can visit the ministry’s website at www.moh.gov.cy. There they can print out the E121 form and mail it to the appropriate address, or submit it online.
Parouti said that processing normally takes about a week, provided the documentation provided by applicants is in order and complete.
Meanwhile around 8,000 health insurance cards have been issued since May 2004 for Cypriots visiting or living abroad. This applies to tourists and students, and covers only treatment for emergencies. In order to receive these benefits, applicants must file an E111 form. In January 2006 the E111 form will be phased out and replaced by the European health insurance card (EHIC) throughout the EU, as part of EU policy to facilitate mobility within the bloc.
