Hopefully all of our readers will have successfully registered with a GP for the new GESY healthcare system with the first phase due to be launched on 1st June
This first phase will provide outpatient care, pharmacy services and laboratory tests. Beneficiaries will have access to their GPs or paediatricians who can refer patients to a specialist doctor and for laboratory tests and also prescribe medication. Referrals to specialist doctors may not include the name of a specific doctor but instead state the specialisation of the doctor in which case beneficiaries can visit the doctor of their choice. A specialist doctor can then also refer patients to other specialist doctors.
Time Criteria
Normal referrals from a GP to a specialist doctor are valid for three visits and for a period of three months while long-term referrals are valid for 12 visits and 12 months. Referrals for diagnostic tests by radiologists, cytologists and anatomic pathologists are valid for 30 days. The same applies for referrals from one specialist doctor to another and for referrals for diagnostic tests by specialist doctors.
Repeat Prescriptions
Patients suffering from chronic illnesses will receive repeat prescriptions which are valid for six months. During this period patients will visit their pharmacy on a monthly basis to receive their prescribed drugs without the need to revisit their doctor
Co-Payments.
Beneficiaries will pay at the following rates for healthcare services:
| Per pharmaceutical product | €1.00 |
| Per medical device or medical supplies | €1.00 |
| Per lab test or group of lab tests | €1.00 (maximum €10) |
| Per visit to a gynaecologist or midwife | €6.00 |
| Per healthcare service performed by a specialist doctor in radiology/diagnostic radiology | €10.00 |
| Per visit to allied health professionals | €10.00 |
| Per visit to a hospital for healthcare services in cases of accidents and emergencies | €10.00 |
No co-payment is paid in cases where the healthcare services are provided within the context of inpatient healthcare.
The maximum annual amount of co-payments will be €75 for the recipients of the Guaranteed Minimum income, the low- income pensioners and children up to the age of 21 and €150 for the rest of the population.
Other charges
Patients will pay €6 per visit to a specialist doctor except for visits to doctors specialising in radiology/radio diagnostics cytology and pathological anatomy for which patients will pay €10 per visit.
Patients who visit a specialist doctor directly and without a referral from a GP will be required to pay €25 for the visit.
In cases where patients choose to purchase a drug which is more expensive than one whose cost is fully covered by Gesy they will be required to pay the price difference in addition to the €1 surcharge for the purchase of drugs from a Gesy pharmacy.
Limit to Visits to GP
Patients will not be charged for visits to their GP provided they remain within the number of free visits per year they are allowed as shown below:
| Age of Beneficiary | Number of Visits |
| 0-1 | 10 |
| 1-3 | 8 |
| 3-5 | 7 |
| 6-10 | 4 |
| 11-18 | 3 |
| 18-40 | 4 |
| 41-50 | 6 |
| 51-65 | 8 |
| >65 | 10 |
GESY Contact Numbers
TEL: 17000
FROM OVERSEAS: +357 22017000
EMAIL: info@gesy.org.cy
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