Cypriot families forced into debt as overseas treatment support falls short

Local cost-of-living crisishealthTop News Cypriot families forced into debt as overseas treatment support falls short Overseas Patients Relevant News Cypriot families forced into debt as overseas treatment support falls short 8 September 2026 Temperatures to reach 37C as fine weather continues 8 September 2026 Serbia’s government asks president to dissolve parliament and call snap vote 7 September 2026 Marilena Panayi 8 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Families accompanying relatives abroad for medical treatment are being forced to quit jobs, take out loans and cover thousands of euros in expenses while waiting for state financial support, according to the Cyprus Federation of Patients’ Associations (CyFPA). The problems affect hundreds of families each year and have prompted the Health Ministry and government to examine changes to a scheme designed to support patients and those who travel with them for treatment overseas. In some cases, parents leave their jobs to care for a sick child or spouse, losing all or part of their income. Their eligibility for support, however, can still be assessed using the household income recorded in the previous tax year. Other families have had to borrow money to pay for flights, accommodation, food and daily expenses abroad because financial assistance from the Health Ministry is paid only later. The government has acknowledged the problem. Patient groups were told during a recent meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides that solutions and possible changes to the procedures are being considered. CyFPA submitted a memorandum to the President and the health minister setting out what it regards as weaknesses in the scheme and proposing changes. Its main request is for the €100,000 income threshold to be abolished or reassessed. CyFPA argues that income from the previous tax year does not necessarily reflect a family’s financial position while a relative is undergoing treatment. “The criterion is based on income from the previous tax year, which does not reflect the family’s actual financial position during the period of treatment,” the federation said in its memorandum. “The patient and accompanying person have often already stopped working, with their income significantly reduced or reduced to zero, while they continue to have all their obligations in Cyprus. Gross income does not take into account tax liabilities, loan commitments, the number of dependants and the increased expenses associated with a chronic or serious illness.” CyFPA also said that “during treatment abroad, the family is effectively maintaining two lives at the same time: expenses abroad and continuing obligations in Cyprus, which means that the existence of an income is not in itself evidence that there is no financial need”. Support for adults who need someone with them CyFPA says the problem is particularly acute for adult patients who cannot travel, undergo treatment or remain alone abroad because of the seriousness of their condition or their functional needs. Such patients may need help getting around, communicating with doctors, taking medication and managing basic daily care. The federation argues that, in these circumstances, an accompanying person is not a matter of choice or convenience. It wants the actual need for accompaniment to be recognised for adult patients as well as children, rather than support being determined solely by a blanket income threshold. Families waiting months for payments CyFPA also points to delays in the payment of approved support. According to its memorandum, families are often required to pay for flights, accommodation, meals and local transport themselves. When they do not have sufficient savings, they may have to borrow money and wait until much later to be reimbursed. By then, CyFPA says, the financial burden has already fallen entirely on the family. The federation proposes that approved support should, where possible, be paid before departure. Where receipts and supporting documents are required, it wants payment to be completed within 30 days of all the necessary paperwork being submitted. For emergency cases, it is calling for a fast-track procedure. For treatments lasting several months, it proposes periodic payments so families are not left financing the entire stay until they return to Cyprus. CyFPA is also seeking changes to the table used to calculate grants. Its memorandum notes that in some countries and cities, securing suitable accommodation for long-term treatment can require a large deposit or several months’ rent in advance. Hospital stays can reduce support Another problem arises when a patient is admitted to hospital. Hospitalisation days are not counted towards the accommodation subsidy, even though the room or flat being used by the patient and accompanying person may continue to be charged. CyFPA is therefore asking for those days not to be automatically deducted from financial support. It also argues that food costs cannot be treated in exactly the same way in every case. The accompanying person continues to have daily expenses, while some patients may be unable to eat hospital food because of their treatment or medical condition. When two people are patients but the scheme recognises one CyFPA also identifies living-donor transplants as one of the clearest gaps in the current scheme. When, for example, a parent donates an organ to their child, there is not simply one patient and one accompanying person. Two people undergo surgery and both may have separate care needs. The scheme does not clearly provide for a second accompanying person in such cases. CyFPA cites the case of a father who donated an organ and, according to the federation, did not receive the full amount of support because he was considered not to be entitled to a separate companion, as he belonged to the same family as the child receiving the transplant. It also refers to another case involving parents who, according to the federation, received no support and were not informed of their entitlements. CyFPA wants provision for a second accompanying person when the circumstances of a case require it, rather than the rule of “one patient, one accompanying person” being applied automatically. Repeated treatment, repeated applications The federation is also calling for special arrangements for chronic patients who need to travel abroad repeatedly. At present, every new trip can require another application, another set of documents, another waiting period and another round of upfront payments by the family. CyFPA wants a simpler procedure for known, recurring cases so that patients requiring ongoing treatment abroad do not have to go through the same financial and bureaucratic process every time. 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