The Social Security Institution of Turkey covers the examination and treatment abroad of diseases that cannot be treated in Turkey with certain conditions.
Within the scope of Social Insurance and General Healthcare Insurance Code No. 5510, the eligible general health insurance holders and their dependents, whose health benefits are covered by the Social Security Institution (SSI), apply to the provincial directorate or the General Directorate of General Health Insurance for examination/ analysis and treatment procedures that cannot be performed domestically, with a duly issued health board report.
Provision and Approval Stages of the Health Board Report Required for Abroad Treatment
A health board report prepared in accordance with the “Health Board Report on Those to be Sent Abroad for Treatment” (ANNEX-2/E-1) format in the Health Practice Communiqué (SUT) annex must be obtained from the relevant health institution, stating that treatment is not possible in the country in line with the principles specified in the Health Practice Communiqué.
The duly prepared medical board report will be confirmed by any of Ankara City Hospital, Istanbul Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital and Izmir Yenişehir Training and Research Hospital and then approved by the Ministry of Health of Turkey.
While these procedures can be carried out by the relevant parties, they can also be carried out by the Social Security Institution by submitting them to the Social Security Provincial Directorate of the province they are affiliated with or General Health Insurance General Directorate in Ankara.
Following the completion of the confirmation and approval procedures, the health board reports are forwarded to the General Health Insurance General Directorate by the patient/relative or the Social Security Provincial Directorate and submitted to the General Health Insurance General Directorate for approval.
Examination/testing can be done abroad by sending the sample or sending the patient.
Provision and Approval Stages of the Health Board Report Required for the Examination
Health board reports required for examinations and/or analyzes to be carried out abroad by sending the sample or sending the patient will be prepared by the health boards of universities or training and research hospitals in accordance with the format of the SUT annex “Health Board Report on Foreign Examinations/Testing” (ANNEX-2/E2). In the reports, it will be stated with detailed reasons why the examination/analysis cannot be carried out in the country.
By sending the sample, health board reports prepared for examinations and/or analyzes to be carried out abroad are sent to the Ministry of Health for approval.
Following the completion of the approval procedures, the health board reports are forwarded to the General Health Insurance General Directorate by the patient or the patient’s relative or the Social Security Provincial Directorate for approval.
Procedures to be Taken After the Overseas Treatment Approval Stage
The report and other documents approved by the Social Security Institution are sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to ensure the necessary coordination with the health facility that will provide the treatment and to carry out transactions such as approval and translation of the documents issued during or after the treatment, and the necessary communication and coordination is provided with the overseas health service provider.
In order to carry out other procedures, the health board report and other documents related to treatment abroad are also sent to the relevant social security provincial directorate.
