Nutritional Allowance for Patients with Kidney Disease and Transplant Recipients
Nutritional Allowance for Patients with Kidney Disease and Heart or Liver Transplant Recipients, etc.
The nutritional allowance is granted to people who:
Under the provisions referred to above, the nutritional allowance is granted to people who:
1. are patients with end-stage chronic renal failure who have a certificate from a nephrologist at a public hospital, private clinic or other medical facility confirming kidney failure and that the condition is at its end stage. The certificate must be signed by the nephrologist, endorsed by the institution’s Administrative Director and state the exact date the patient’s treatment began; or
2. are recipients of heart, liver, lung or bone marrow transplants or have undergone a multivisceral transplant or have received a transplant of at least one of the following organs: stomach, spleen, pancreas, pancreatic islets, large or small intestine, liver, kidney, heart or lungs, or a haematopoietic stem-cell transplant, and have a certificate from the transplant centre confirming the transplant and its type. The certificate must be signed by the centre’s director and endorsed by the institution’s Administrative Director; or
3. are patients with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and have a medical certificate from their treating physician at the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre confirming implantation of a mechanical circulatory support device; or
4. are people on a waiting list for a transplant of at least one of the following organs: stomach, spleen, pancreas, pancreatic islets, large or small intestine, liver, heart or lungs, and have a certificate from the Hellenic Transplant Organization or from a foreign transplant organisation, officially translated into Greek, confirming that they are on a waiting list for at least one of the transplants listed above; and
5. do not receive a nutritional allowance from another domestic or foreign body; and
6. reside lawfully and permanently in Greece and, in addition to Greek citizens, are citizens of an EU or EEA Member State or a country covered by the European Convention ratified by Legislative Decree 4017/1959 (Government Gazette A’ 246), or a country that has acceded to and ratified the European Social Charter, or are recognised refugees whose status is governed by the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (Legislative Decree 3989/1959, Government Gazette A’ 201), as amended by the 1967 New York Protocol (Emergency Law 389/1968, Government Gazette A’ 125), or are third-country nationals who are family members of a Greek or EU citizen, or are beneficiaries of international protection or hold a lawful residence permit for humanitarian reasons, or hold an Expatriate Identity Card.
Supporting documents:
1. A certificate from the transplant centre confirming that the beneficiary has undergone a transplant and stating the type of transplant. The certificate must be signed by the transplant centre’s director and endorsed by the institution’s Administrative Director.
2. A certificate from a nephrologist at a public hospital or medical centre confirming kidney failure and that it is at the end stage of chronic renal failure. The certificate must be signed by the nephrologist and endorsed by the institution’s Administrative Director. The centre’s certificate must state the exact date the patient’s treatment began.
3. A medical certificate from the patient’s treating physician at the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre confirming that they have undergone implantation of a mechanical circulatory support device.
4. A certificate from the Hellenic Transplant Organization or a foreign transplant organisation, officially translated into Greek, confirming that the beneficiary is on a waiting list for a transplant of at least one of the following organs: stomach, spleen, pancreas, pancreatic islets, large or small intestine, liver, heart or lungs. Status
a. Greek citizens. An identity card must be submitted.
b. Citizens of European Union (EU) Member States. An EU citizen registration certificate must be submitted.
c. Citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) and countries covered by the European Convention ratified by Legislative Decree 4017/1959 (Government Gazette A’ 246). A valid residence permit must be submitted.
d. Recognised refugees permanently residing in Greece whose status is governed by the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (Legislative Decree 3989/1959, Government Gazette A’ 201), as amended by the 1967 New York Protocol (Emergency Law 389/1968, Government Gazette A’ 125). A recognised refugee identity card must be submitted.
e. Third-country nationals who are family members of a Greek or EU citizen. A valid residence permit as a family member of a Greek or EU citizen must be submitted.
f. Third-country nationals who are beneficiaries of international protection. An international protection beneficiary identity card must be submitted.
g. Third-country nationals who have been granted residence status for humanitarian reasons. A residence permit for humanitarian reasons must be submitted.
h. Citizens of countries that have signed a relevant bilateral agreement with Greece, ratified by law. A valid residence permit must be submitted.
i. Citizens of countries that have acceded to and ratified the European Social Charter. A valid residence permit must be submitted.
j. Holders of an Expatriate Identity Card. The following must be submitted: an Expatriate Identity Card.
Applicants are not assessed by a KEPA health committee.
Legal framework
1. Legislative Decree 162/1973 (Government Gazette A’ 227) on measures to protect older people and people with chronic illnesses.
2. Article 22 of Law 2646/1998 (Government Gazette A’ 236) on the development of the National Social Care System and other provisions.
3. Article 4 of Law 4520/2018 (Government Gazette A’ 30/2018) transforming the Agricultural Insurance Organisation into OPEKA and other provisions.
4. Article 21(3) of Law 4251/2014 (Government Gazette A’ 80).
5. Law 5043/2023 (Government Gazette A’ 91/13-04-2023) on local government organisations, companion animal welfare, public-sector staffing and other urgent provisions (Article 95).
6. Joint Ministerial Decision D12a/G.P.oik.68856/2202 (Government Gazette B’ 5855/28-12-2018) assigning OPEKA responsibility for cash welfare benefits for people with disabilities, housing assistance and benefits for expatriate refugees, and setting the administrative process, terms and conditions.
7. Joint Ministerial Decision A2g/5014/19.7/13.8.82 (Government Gazette B’ 591) approving the subsidy programme for patients with end-stage chronic renal failure.
8. Ministerial Decision Y1/G.P.oik.84391/27.6.2007 (Government Gazette B’ 1165) extending the nutritional allowance for patients with kidney disease to heart, liver, lung and bone marrow transplant recipients.
9. Joint Ministerial Decision Y1/G.P.oik.38120/2008 (Government Gazette B’ 563) amending and supplementing Ministerial Decision Y1/G.P.oik.84391/27.6.2007 (Government Gazette B’ 1165/11.7.2007) on extending the nutritional allowance to heart, liver, lung and bone marrow transplant recipients.
10. Joint Ministerial Decision Y1/G.P.oik.102431/1.9.2008 (Government Gazette B’ 1519) of the Ministers of Economy and Finance and Health and Social Solidarity increasing the nutritional allowance for patients with kidney disease and transplant recipients.
11. Ministerial Decision Y1/G.P.oik.101270/2009 (Government Gazette B’ 1591/4-8-2009) granting the nutritional allowance to foreign nationals and expatriates with kidney disease.
12. Joint Ministerial Decision Y1/G.P.oik.38764/29.3.2012 (Government Gazette B’ 1239) extending the nutritional allowance to people who have undergone multivisceral transplantation or a transplant of at least one of the following organs: stomach, spleen, pancreas, pancreatic islets, large or small intestine, liver, kidney, heart or lungs.
13. Joint Ministerial Decision D12a/106717 (Government Gazette B’ 6866/08.12.2023) extending the nutritional allowance for patients with kidney disease to patients with mechanical circulatory support devices and people on a waiting list for a transplant of at least one of the following organs: stomach, spleen, pancreas, pancreatic islets, large or small intestine, liver, heart or lungs.
14. Governor’s Decision No. 330 (Government Gazette B’ 4758/2022) aligning disability-related legal requirements for awarding cash welfare benefits to people with disabilities with the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10).
