General Health System (Cyprus)

GeSY (Greek: Γενικό Σύστημα Υγείας (ΓεΣΥ), Genikó Sýstima Ygeías, English: General Healthcare System, GHS^[1]) is the universal health insurance system of Cyprus established in 2017 when three government bills and regulations were agreed by parliament after prolonged negotiation led by health minister Yiorgos Pamboridis.^[2]

In November 2022 the Cyprus Association of Research and Development Pharmaceutical Companies organised a conference entitled A New Era for Health Care in Cyprus: Embrace, Evaluate, Evolve to review the steps and achievements in the three years since the introduction of GESY.^[3]

The running of these service is in the hands of the Health Insurance Organisation.

Costs

From 1 March 2019 the scheme will cover out-of-hospital care. Employees and pensioners, income-earners will have to contribute 1.7% of their income, employers 1.85%, the state 1.65%, and self-employed people 2.55%. From 1 March 2020 it will include hospital care, and contributions will rise to 2.65% for employees, 2.9% for employers, 4.7% from the state , and 4% for the self-employed. There are co-payments which are capped at €300 per year for patients and €75 per year for low-pension earners and recipients of Guaranteed Minimum Income.^[4]