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The role of the 2011 patients' rights in cross-border health care directive in shaping seven national health systems: Looking beyond patient mobility

Author

Listed:
  • Azzopardi-Muscat, Natasha
  • Baeten, Rita
  • Clemens, Timo
  • Habicht, Triin
  • Keskimäki, Ilmo
  • Kowalska-Bobko, Iwona
  • Sagan, Anna
  • van Ginneken, Ewout

Abstract

Reports on the implementation of the Directive on the application of Patients' Rights in Cross-border Healthcare indicate that it had little impact on the numbers of patients seeking care abroad. We set out to explore the effects of this directive on health systems in seven EU Member States. Key informants in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Malta, Poland and The Netherlands filled out a structured questionnaire. Findings indicate that the impact of the directive varied between countries and was smaller in countries where a large degree of adaptation had already taken place in response to the European Court of Justice Rulings. The main reforms reported include a heightened emphasis on patient rights and the adoption of explicit benefits packages and tariffs. Countries may be facing increased pressure to treat patients within a medically justifiable time limit. The implementation of professional liability insurance, in countries where this did not previously exist, may also bring benefits for patients. Lowering of reimbursement tariffs to dissuade patients from seeking treatment abroad has been reported in Poland. The issue of discrimination against non-contracted domestic private providers in Estonia, Finland, Malta and The Netherlands remains largely unresolved. We conclude that evidence showing that patients using domestic health systems have actually benefitted from the directive remains scarce and further monitoring over a longer period of time is recommended.

Suggested Citation

  • Azzopardi-Muscat, Natasha & Baeten, Rita & Clemens, Timo & Habicht, Triin & Keskimäki, Ilmo & Kowalska-Bobko, Iwona & Sagan, Anna & van Ginneken, Ewout, 2018. "The role of the 2011 patients' rights in cross-border health care directive in shaping seven national health systems: Looking beyond patient mobility," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(3), pages 279-283.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:122:y:2018:i:3:p:279-283
    DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2017.12.010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kowalska-Bobko, Iwona & Mokrzycka, Anna & Sagan, Anna & Włodarczyk, W. Cezary & Zabdyr-Jamróz, Michał, 2016. "Implementation of the cross-border healthcare directive in Poland: How not to encourage patients to seek care abroad?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(11), pages 1233-1239.
    2. Azzopardi-Muscat, Natasha & Aluttis, Christoph & Sorensen, Kristine & Pace, Roderick & Brand, Helmut, 2015. "The impact of the EU Directive on patients’ rights and cross border health care in Malta," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(10), pages 1285-1292.
    3. Azzopardi-Muscat, Natasha & Clemens, Timo & Stoner, Deborah & Brand, Helmut, 2015. "EU Country Specific Recommendations for health systems in the European Semester process: Trends, discourse and predictors," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(3), pages 375-383.
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    1. Diesenreiter, Carina & Österle, August, 2021. "Patients as EU citizens? The implementation and corporatist stakeholders’ perceptions of the EU cross-border health care directive in Austria," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(11), pages 1498-1505.
    2. Camilleri, Carl & Jofre-Bonet, Mireia & Serra-Sastre, Victoria, 2018. "The suitability of a DRG casemix system in the Maltese hospital setting," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(11), pages 1183-1189.
    3. Schmidt, Andrea E. & Bobek, Julia & Mathis-Edenhofer, Stefan & Schwarz, Tanja & Bachner, Florian, 2022. "Cross-border healthcare collaborations in Europe (2007–2017): Moving towards a European Health Union?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(12), pages 1241-1247.
    4. Perna, Roberta & Cruz-Martínez, Gibrán & Moreno Fuentes, Francisco Javier, 2022. "Patient mobility within national borders. Drivers and politics of cross-border healthcare agreements in the Spanish decentralized system," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(11), pages 1187-1193.

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