1. Health care organisation and funding

The public health care system in Malta is funded through taxation and national insurance. It operates through public hospitals and health care centres. A number of private hospitals, clinics and other facilities provide private health care. Care in these private facilities is funded by private insureance or out ofpocket payments. Practitioners in Malta are allowed to exercise their profession in both public and private health care services.

2. Publicly funded health care services

The Ministry of Health is responsible for the financing and provision of publicly funded health care services. Emergency health care in public services is generally free at the point of use. Persons living in Malta and covered by Maltese social security legislation are entitled to public health care services in accordance with entitlements as determined from time to time by the Ministry of Health. EU citizens resident in Malta are entitled to equivalent consideration. This official certification together with a personal identification document will be enough to receive health care in public health care services.

Temporary visitors from EU members states have direct access to the health care from publicly funded health care services upon presentation of the European Health and Insurance Card (EHIC) together with an identification document. EU citizens are advised that an original European Health and Insurance Card will be required in case of document usage of public health care facilities.  If the relevant forms are not presented, health care bills must be paid in full prior to leaving the health care facility. Both cash payments and credit cards payments are possible. A list of public hospitals and leath centres is at Annex A.

3. Private Medical Care

The government of Malta is not responsible in any way for any treatment or care given to EU citizens in private hospitals or health centres or by practitioners or any sort in their private capacity. All private practice in Malta is carried out exclusively from private facilities and there are no private beds or facilities in public hospitals or health centers. All private care facilities apart from GP and specialist consulting offices are duly licensed by the Public Health Authorities.

4. Emergency Care

EU citizens temporarily visiting Malta who present proof of EU-nationality and a valid EHIC will be given urgent medically necessary care at the Accident and Emergency Departments of public hospitals and at Government Health Centres.

5. Dental care

Only acute emergency dental care is offered free of charge in hospital outpatient and health centres, bit its extent is not very wide. Most dental care is paid out of pocket in private dental clinics that are all duly licensed by the Public Health Authorities.

6. Drugs and Medical Devices

All drugs used in in-patient treatment and for the first three days after discharge are free of charge for the patient. The cost will be included in the eventual bill issued to the institution which has provided the relative EHIC to EU citizens on temporary stay who require health care.

If a sickness needs the usage of drugs/medicines or the usage of medical devices at a primary care level or at out-patient level or after discharge from daycare or inpatient ca (except the first 3 days for drugs/medicines), a prescription from a licensed medical practitioner is required. Drugs and medicines can be purchased in any of the retail pharmacies in Malta (there are more than 200) and the cost is totally borne by the patient through out-of-pocket payment. There are only two exceptions to this rule and these apply to persons living in Malta who are covered by Maltese social security legislation. In the case of these two exemptions, medicines and medical devices are exclusively dispensed from Govenrment pharmacies or facilities: -

(i) persons who are in low-income group, as determined by a means test, are entitled to free medicine/drugs from a restricted list of essential drugs and some medical devices (subject to certain conditions and the payment of a refundable deposit); and

(ii) persons who suffer from chronic diseases included in a specific schedule incorporated in the Social Security Act, are entitled to free medicines/drugs strictly related to the particular chronic disease and this benefit is independent of financial means.

7. Bilateral Agreements

There is one bilateral agreement in place up to now. Citizens of the United Kingdom (including Gibraltar andthe Channel Islands) and Northern Ireland are expemted from the production of a valid EHIC when they call at a public hospital or government health care centre to be given emergency medical care. The provisions for elective care as per paragraph 5 above shall however apply in full.

8. Comprehensivenes and Applicability

This is only a summary that reflects the current entitlement for health care in Malta. EU citizens are encourgaed to clarify any queries with:

Entitlement Unit
Ministry of Health
24 St.John Street,
Valletta, MALTA CMR02

Phone:  +356 2299 2391
Fax:      +356 2299 2663
Email:   entitlements.mhec@gov.mt

This package applies to the Member States of the EU and to member states of the EEA except for the special provisions indicated in section 8 "Bilateral Agreements".

Annex A

Medical Institutions in Malta

Acute Hospitals (referral from Health Centres or directly in extreme emergencies)

Mater Dei Hospital
Limiti ta' Tal-Qroqq
Msida
Tel: +356 25 45 00 00

Gozo General Hospital
Victoria
Gozo
Tel: +356 21 22 44 91

Mount Carmel Hospital (Psychiatry)
Notabile Road
Attard
Tel: +356 21 22 44 91

Health Centres (Primary Care Centres – self referral for GP services)