S.L. 528.3 Art. 7Functions of the national contact point.

(1) The national contact point shall have those functions, in general, as may be prescribed by the Minister from time to time, but in particular these shall include:

(a) the cooperation with the Commission and with the other contact points of other Member States on matters relating to cross-border healthcare;

(b) the consultation with patient organisations, healthcare providers and healthcare insurers;

(c) the facilitation of the exchange of information referred to in paragraph (d) and the cooperation with other contact points;

(d) the provision to patients and health professionals, on their request and in accordance with established practices, of information related to:

(i) the contact details of national contact points in other Member States;

(ii) their rights and entitlements related to receiving cross-border healthcare including the terms and conditions for prior authorisation and the reimbursement of costs;

(iii) procedures for accessing and determining those entitlements;

(iv) healthcare providers, including information on a specific provider’s right to provide services and any restrictions on its practice;

(v) patients’ rights in relation to cross-border care in accordance with these regulations;

(vi) complaints procedures and mechanisms for seeking remedies in relation to cross-border healthcare in accordance with these regulations;

(vii) the legal and administrative options available for settling disputes, including those related to harm arising from cross-border healthcare;

(viii) the standards and guidelines on quality and safety laid down by the Member State of treatment, including provisions on supervision and assessment of healthcare providers, information on which healthcare providers are subject to these standards and guidelines and information on the accessibility of hospitals for persons with disabilities;

(ix) the elements to be included in prescriptions issued in a Member State other than the Member State where they are dispensed, as provided for in the Prescription and Dispensing Requirement Rules.

(2) The national contact point shall ensure that all relevant information requested under the Act and under these regulations, including all contact details, shall be readily available to the public, including by electronic means and in formats accessible to persons with a disability, as appropriate.

(3) The national contact point shall act as the Technical Secretariat for the Cross-Border Prior Authorisations Committee established under these regulations. It shall also be the function of the national contact point to communicate to the patient whether authorisation has been granted or not in accordance with regulation 11(5).

(4) The national contact point shall be responsible to receive claims for reimbursement and for determining whether such claims fulfil conditions for reimbursement under these regulations.

Reimbursement of Cross-Border Healthcare