Turkey's social security body demands court rulings from patients to cover cancer medication costs
Turkey's Social Security Institution (SGK) is demanding court rulings to pay for some patients' cancer treatment, going against precedent from the Constitutional Court. A main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy urged the SGK to adhere to include medication the court has ruled on in their default coverage.
Duvar English
Turkey's Social Securities Institution (SGK) is requesting court rulings to pay for some patients' cancer treatment, a practice that defies precedent from the Constitutional Court, daily Cumhuriyet reported on Sept. 18.
"The SGK is effectively abandoning people to die by not paying for treatment costs that they couldn't possibly afford," main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Murat Emir said.
Noting that the SGK was reported to require court rulings to pay for medication that should be covered under insurance, Emir said that obtaining a court ruling can take years in Turkey.
"Having each patient apply to a court individually is a huge loss of time," Emir said.
The SGK should adhere to precedent from the Constitutional Court and include any medications covered into its automatic reimbursement list, the deputy added.