HIO budget oversight urged

The Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) needs better control over its budget allocation, the head of the house health committee and Disy MP Efthymios Diplaros said on Thursday, following a discussion on the matter.

Diplaros emphasised that the HIO’s budget, amounting to €1.6 billion, comprises taxpayer contributions, employers’ contributions, and the state’s contribution. He noted that the head of the HIO informed the committee that budget calculations are based on actuarial studies, which are confirmed annually using actual data.

“Nobody wants to see wastage. The HIO must exercise better control expenditure while maintaining the quality of services offered to citizens. The goal should be to upgrade the services provided and improve the quality of medicine,” he said.

Diplaros urged the government and parliament to proceed with the completion of reforms, including the Ambulance Authority, the National Pharmaceutical Authority, the Clinical Documentation Centre, the Patient Advocate, and the University Hospitals, alongside other bills related to palliative care, rehabilitation, hospitals, and clinical laboratories.

Commenting on Gesy, he said that the public needs to understand that the funds for the national health scheme belong to all.

“With this in mind, we all have to be mindful of when and where we spend these funds, not because we should compromise on our health but to ensure that at the time when we really need healthcare services Gesy can serve us,” he added.

He said that there are complaints from doctors about beneficiaries making double appointments, pressuring their personal doctors.

“The same specialist doctors tell us that many people visit them without any real need. Until recently we had patients going to pharmacies with bags of medicines they had received through Gesy but did not need,” he said.

He highlighted the public’s responsibility as beneficiaries of Gesy and urged the HIO to address the identified problems and find solutions. “We must collectively examine these distortions and make corrections, as it is our responsibility here in parliament,” he concluded.