Final vote paves way for EU cross-border health care

Members of the European Parliament approved a new EU law setting out patients' rights to seek medical care in another EU country on the 19 January 2011. The legislation clarifies the rules for reimbursement, including when advance authorisation may be required.

The Council of the European Union approved on the 28 February 2011 the European Parliament's amendments. The European Parliament's amendments reflect a second-reading-compromise reached between the Belgian Presidency and representatives of the European Parliament in an informal trilogue on 15 December 2010. In line with article 294 of the Lisbon Treaty the crossborder healthcare directive has now been adopted. Member States will have 30 months to
transpose the directive’s provision into national legislation.

• Primary Source

BBC News, 19.1.11: Euro MPs adopt cross-border healthcare law http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12224375

European Parliament: Press Release, 19.1.11: Clearer rules on seeking healthcare abroad http://www.europarl.europa.eu/en/pressroom/content/20110119IPR11941/html/Clearer-rules-on-seeking-healthcare-abroad

European Commission: Press Release: IP/11/53: Statement by John Dalli, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy on the EU Directive on Patients' Rights in Cross-border Healthcare http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/53&format=PDF&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

EUObserver, 20.1.11: EU patients get new rules on seeking treatment abroad http://euobserver.com/9/31670

Council of the European Union: Press Release: PRES/11/40: Directive on cross-border healthcare adopted http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/lsa/119514.pdf

Deutsche Welle, 20.1.11: Healthcare finally crosses the great European divide http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14776498,00.html

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