Preparing for treatment abroad - Everything you need to know

In certain cases, patients are entitled to arrange medical treatment abroad, which is financed by the health insurance fund. Most often, it is a consultation with a specialist, treatment for a specific illness or surgery carried out in another EU country. There are two ways to get planned treatment in an EU country:

- with an S2 form

If you get an S2 form, your health insurance will directly cover the cost of treatment abroad /if it is carried out in another EU country/.

If you choose this option, you will only have access to public healthcare. You will always have to apply to your national health insurance fund for prior authorisation before going abroad for treatment. The Health Insurance Fund is only obliged to grant prior authorisation if the treatment you are applying for is covered by your health insurance, but cannot be carried out in your country within a medically reasonable time.

If you are approved for a Form S2, any costs for treatment abroad will be covered by the NHS in accordance with the rules in the country where you are being treated. You will not need to pay for your treatment abroad and the authorities responsible for these treatments in the country where the manipulation takes place will deal with the paperwork.

- reimbursement after treatment abroad

You can also check treatment abroad prices and pay for your planned treatment yourself. When you return home, you can ask to be reimbursed for the costs you have incurred - in full or in part. The system is applicable to both public and private healthcare providers in European countries. Research treatment abroad reviews and you will be able to decide which country and which clinic would be best to go to.

Ask your health insurance fund or your national point of contact if you need prior authorisation. Here you can find links to lists of treatments that require prior authorisation in your country. Your request should be granted if you would otherwise have to wait too long for treatment in your country. When considering your request, your health insurance fund is also obliged to consider whether it is possible to issue you with an S2 form.

Financing treatment abroad via the Pavel Andreev platform

If you cannot finance your treatment on your own and it turns out that the state cannot help you either, there is always the option of setting up a donation campaign for emergency treatment abroad. If you create it on our donation site PavelAndreev.ORG you will be able to get your story out to a wide range of potential donors quickly and easily. Share your needs openly. The more honestly and accessibly the story is told, the easier it is to find supporters who will decide to help raise funds for treatment abroad. Such help is invaluable at difficult times. Treatment abroad cost often turns out to be higher than most ordinary Bulgarians can afford, which is why their only lifeline is to rely on the kind hearts of people visiting sites like PavelAndreev.ORG. We know from experience that thousands of people are willing to help people in need of expensive treatment abroad or an emergency transplant, and the dozens of successful campaigns we have run give us hope that more and more people will be saved and given the chance of a new life!

Take a look at the following campaigns we have been able to help through our Treatment Abroad Fund.

• Together for Nicola against osteosarcoma
• Life for baby Christine
• Let's save Marty from this insidious disease!
• Life for Michaud
• Give Life to Mitko
• Unite for Joy

Frequently Asked Questions

1.Am I eligible for treatment abroad?

The answer is definitely yes. Every Bulgarian citizen has the right to go to another European Union country and receive medical treatment there. If you meet certain conditions, your costs will be covered directly. Alternatively, you may be reimbursed in part or in full by your public health insurance institution.

The European rules for treatment abroad cover medical and dental care, hospitalisation and medicines. You will be reimbursed if you are eligible for treatment in your home country. For example, spa treatment costs are covered in some countries and not in others.

2.If a patient suffers from a rare disease for which no treatment is available in their country and the necessary procedures are not covered by the health system in my country, will the health insurance cover the necessary surgery in another EU country?

Treatments abroad are only covered as payment if the social security system in the country where the patient is insured covers them. If this is not the case, the institution is not obliged to authorise treatment abroad. However, it may decide to reimburse the costs.

3.Can treatment abroad be financed through a charity campaign?

If you have researched overseas treatment reviews in detail and are confident that your recovery will go better there, but are unable to fund medical care there, you can set up a charity fundraising campaign. It is not a problem to use money collected in a Bulgarian bank account to pay for treatment abroad.

These recommendations from Pavel Andreev will help you organize a successful fundraising campaign. You can quickly and easily organize a charity campaign on PavelAndreev.ORG.

4.How do I create an online campaign to raise funds for treatment abroad?

The best and at the same time - the easiest way to do it is by using the Pavel Andreev platform. Visit PavelAndreev.ORG and create your cause in a few simple steps.

Visit PavelAndreev.ORG's Causes page to see more examples of how specific donation amounts can help.

And in our help center you can see What are the conditions for starting a campaign?

5.In the country where the patient is insured, there is a waiting list for the treatment they need. Under European rules, is he or she entitled to be treated abroad and then reimbursed for not waiting?

This could happen. Your national health insurer cannot refuse you permission to have treatment abroad if there is a waiting list for that treatment in your country. It also has to take your specific illness into account and, if refused, prove that the waiting time is reasonable, based on an objective medical assessment of your needs.

6.Can I be categorically refused authorisation for treatment?

Unfortunately this can also happen. The health insurance institution may deny you prior authorization if the treatment you need is not covered by your health insurance. Another prerequisite for refusal is if it can be provided in your country within a medically acceptable timeframe. But even if this happens, the possibility of setting up a charity campaign to raise funds for treatment abroad remains.

7.Who should the patient turn to if a problem arises during treatment abroad?

The patient can contact the national contact point in the EU country where he/she is receiving treatment.