Cataract patients across the region looks set to be out of pocket after cuts of over 40% to reimbursement rates has been announced by the HSE.
People seeking cataract surgery in Northern Ireland under the cross border EU directive will now receive just €863 instead of the original rate of just over €1,900.
Consultation in the North typically costs a patient in the region of £160, with the procedure costing just over £2,000. Irish residents in the South can travel to the North for private treatments to carry out in a much faster time frame and up to now have the majority of the costs reimburse.
Senator Robbie Gallagher says he wanted to highlight these changes and he says he is also seeking clarity from the HSE over these changes. The Monaghan Senator believes this news will inevitably turn people off from getting the procedure in the North.
