Health chief eyes patient mobility plan

Health commissioner Markos Kyprianou will next week (5 September) ask the European Commission to help citizens benefit from 25 national healthcare systems.

An orientation debate on EU health services aims to fill a gap left after ministers voted earlier this year to exclude healthcare from the scope of the services directive.

Next week’s debate will be led by Kyprianou and followed by consultations with governments and health experts. After the consultation, the Commission as a whole will decide whether to propose legislation covering health services legislation. ‘Softer’ options, for guidelines or a communication, are also possible.

Several court rulings since 1998 have established that EU citizens have the right to expect their home country to reimburse them for treatment received from a doctor in another EU member state.

Hospital treatment can also be refunded in certain cases, if the patient has prior authorisation to be treated outside their own country. Authorisation is usually expected when faster or better treatment is available in a neighbouring country.

But the practical implications of the rulings remain unclear. Notably, there are questions over who is legally responsible for making sure health-care received abroad is followed up, and who would be held to blame if there were problems with the treatment.

Complications and legal questions about financing arise as soon as health services offered under one system of healthcare funding have to be refunded under another.

Health commissioner Markos Kyprianou will next week (5 September) ask the European Commission to help citizens benefit from 25 national healthcare systems.