HEALTHWISE: Virginia woman has hip replacement abroad via cross border scheme

Around this time last year, Linda O’Shea got a hip replacement abroad, which she says has completely changed her life.

The 63 year old was waiting in Ireland for over one year for a referral appointment to get her hip replacement, when her daughter heard about Healthcare Abroad, which facilitiates people to avail of the HSE’s Cross Border Directive (CBD) scheme.

“I was waiting here for about 13 months for an appointment to see a consultant, and I still hadn’t heard,” she said, describing that she was “in the height of pain”.

Born in Dublin and now living in Virginia, Linda’s daughter Emma got in touch with Healthcare Abroad, who “got the ball rolling” for Linda’s procedure. They organised the finance scheme from the Credit Union, and also the flights, consultant, the hotel, “everything” she told the Celt.

“I had it done within two weeks,” Linda said, explaining that she made the trip over to Dénia with her husband Terry for the procedure.

She said the hospital experience in Spain was “excellent”.

“I couldn’t fault it,” she said.

“I’m flying now. You get a week of intense physio after the operation and, when you come back, you do it yourself. For the first three months it was tough but now, 12 months later, I’m brand new,” she said.

“Since I got the operation, the pain is all gone, my life is changed completely.”

Linda believes she would have had to wait for over another year for the operation at home. Opting to go abroad, her operation cost €13,500.

“They get in contact with your local credit union and the credit union funds it and you pay for your own flights and accommodation.

“Then when I came back about eight weeks later the HSE refunded the €13,500 to the credit union.”

Linda said she “very much so” recommends the scheme.

“It’s the waiting lists really. That’s the problem and it’s waiting even to see a consultant before you can get a diagnosis to go and have your operation.

“If I’d have known about it sooner, I would have went sooner.”

The Cross Border Directive (CBD) was introduced in Ireland in 2014. Under EU directive, Ireland is required to reimburse patients who choose to access necessary healthcare in another EU or EEA country.

Under the scheme, the patient must pay the provider for the healthcare. After the healthcare, those who avail of the scheme can apply to the HSE for payment towards the cost of the healthcare. The scheme does not cover other costs such as travel, accommodation or translation costs.

A HSE spokesperson stated that the scheme “was not introduced to alleviate waiting times”. However they went on to state that in excess of 90% of the patients who use the scheme and indicate why they are using it, “cite waiting times for healthcare in Ireland as the reason they are accessing the healthcare abroad”.

Patients who have any queries may at any time contact the National Contact Point (NCP) on 056-7784546 or via email to crossborderdirective@hse.ie