"Clearer rules" regarding medical services abroad

The European Parliament informs in a press release that Wednesday, a French MEP’s proposal was voted which reveals that European citizens will benefit from medical treatment in other countries of the European Union and from the retrieval of the costs.

In addition, the press release reveals that the newly adopted piece of legislation clears up not only the rules that must be followed in order to refund the costs but also the situations that require a preliminary permit.

After this text comes into force, the EU members will have thirty months available to make the required changes in the national legislation.

According to Iolanda Bădiliţă, correspondent of Radio România, this new European directive supports those who require medical services abroad which are one of the variants mostly used by rich Romanians who are unsatisfied with the situation of the national system.

Patients ought to get in advance a permit from the national medical authorities and any denial of them must be thoroughly justified.

The debate on the directive that will allow, for instance, Romanian patients to receive medical treatment from abroad stirs tensed discussions in the European Parliament.

The new directive can develop a real medical tourism

The draft directive emphasizes under what conditions a patient from a European member state can require medical aid from another state and under which conditions those services will be covered by the health funds without producing imbalances or without putting pressure on public budgets.

According to the document, in many cases, before receiving a medical treatment in another country, an insured patient will need an authorization from the mother country's medical authorities.

However, many members concern about the eventual costs and have been warned that the new directive may develop a truly medical tourism more in the poor states than in the rich EU ones.

Before passing the new piece of legislation, reporting Françoise Grossetete defended it against critics.

The French MEP pointed out that the new legislation will make up the present one, which offers some rights limited only to European patients when benefiting from foreign medical services.

"There will be established contact center services which will give information regarding the possibilities of receiving medical treatment in other member states; actually, there will be an European network of such centers one related to each other", Françoise Grossetete asserted.

Moreover, let’s say that the new legislation will favor those who live near the border and who consider that is cheaper and easier to benefit from foreign medical service in a neighbor country.


Translated by: Cristina Anamaria Maricescu and Andreea Velicu
MA Students, MTTLC, Bucharest University