Parliament backs rights of patients to healthcare without borders

5.15.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 23rd Apr 2009

Today the European Parliament approved the first step toward a European patient area by adopting a report on cross-border health. People with rare diseases will be able to receive medical care throughout the EU. European Liberals are delighted that the attempt by the Greens and the GUE to block the report failed. The PSE (Socialists) abstained.

Local MEP Graham Watson believes that the Greens, GUE and Socialists have a lot to explain to their citizens during the upcoming election campaigns:

"I do not understand that people who preach a social Europe do not want to give patients the right to get the treatment they need. Is it social to vote against legislation that benefits the European citizen in a concrete way? This is not about liberalisation of health care services, but about free movement of patients. The directive will not interfere in the way national health care systems are organised. They are playing political games on the backs of European patients."

The directive gives patients the right to non-hospitalisation care in other Member States to the extent that they would be covered in their own Member State. They do not need prior authorisation and will be reimbursed by their own social security system. Patients may also seek hospital care in another Member State and get the costs reimbursed, but in this case the Member States can require prior authorisation. The directive ensures free movement of and better information for patients. Furthermore, it will increase cooperation between health care systems by sharing expertise, innovation and information.

For more information: http://www.patients-rights.eu/