Standard Club has informed Members that there have been a number of occasions where Italian crew, employed aboard Italian flagged vessels, received medical care outside of Italy, only for the Italian Ministry of Health to rejected, or only partially reimburse, the shipowner for the medical costs incurred.
Standard Club said that the guidelines for reimbursement were updated last July 20th and as a result the Italian Health Ministry had become “increasingly stringent in the way it applies its criteria for reimbursement of a crew members’ medical costs incurred outside of Italy to shipowners”. As a result, said the Club, requests which would have been reimbursed a year ago are no longer being considered.
The club said that there are now numerous requirements that have to be followed to obtain approval. The principal reason for rejections appear to be the requirement for the medical services to have been provided by an affiliated doctor/facility. If these are not available locally then local public or private facilities can be used, but will only be reimbursed within the limits of the guidelines. Reimbursement will then be considered against several other factors also noted within the guidelines.
Standard Club said that, given the change of approach by the Italian Ministry of Health, Members should comply as far as possible with the guidelines issued by the Ministry so as to ensure that their reimbursement requests are met in full.
The guidelines issued by the Ministry can be read here http://www.standard-club.com/media/2533546/linee-guida.pdf