PATIENTS in Northern Ireland can apply to have their treatment carried out in the Republic with the replacement of an EU directive by a more limited scheme.
Department of Health official Patricia Quinn-Duffy confirmed it the Republic of Ireland Reimbursement Scheme will work in a similar way to the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive, which ended on December 31 after Brexit.
People can still source "routinely commissioned treatment" in the south's private sector and after paying for them have have the costs reimbursed up to the same amount it costs under Northern Ireland's health service.
It does not apply to treatment in the private sector and has been introduced to ensure that patients are accessing healthcare they would also receive in the north.
Ms Quinn-Duffy told Health Committee yesterday "it's up to the patient to source their provider, then apply to the board for authorisation".
"All treatments need to be prior-authorised before a patient can go into the Republic to have their treatment carried out.
"This is actually how the scheme is run in the south but in the UK it had been under the directive that emergency and some other treatments would have been available without prior authorisation."
People applying for the scheme must be resident in Northern Ireland and the treatment must be one commissioned here so patients are not receiving enhanced provision.
Travel and accommodation costs and long-term care cannot be reimbursed and organ transplants and vaccinations do not form part of it.
However, anyone using the scheme is urged to carry the global health insurance card, which replaced the EU one and have health insurance in case they need emergency care afterwards which is not covered.
