Health Policy
Volume 122, Issue 3, 2018, Pages 279-283

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

Azzopardi-Muscat N.* , Baeten R. , Clemens T. , Habicht T. , Keskimäki I. , Kowalska-Bobko I. , Sagan A. , van Ginneken E.
  • a Department of Health Services Management, Faculty of Health Science University of Malta, Department of International Health, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
  • b European Social Observatory (OSE), Belgium
  • c Department of International Health, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
  • d Ministry of Social Affairs, Tallinn, Estonia
  • e National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Department of Health and Social Care Systems, Helsinki, Finland, University of Tampere, Faculty of Social Sciences, Finland
  • f Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Faculty of Health Science, Kraków, Poland
  • g European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), United Kingdom
  • h European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Berlin University of Technology, Germany

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. © 2018 The Author(s)

Author Keywords

Patients' rights health policy Health system cross-border health care European Union

Index Keywords

Netherlands Germany Finland economics health care policy human trends reimbursement Poland Patient Rights patient right international cooperation adoption Estonia Government Programs Surveys and Questionnaires Humans male female questionnaire clinical article Belgium European Union patient mobility adult court migration legal liability medical tourism government Emigration and Immigration Malta justice monitoring structured questionnaire Health Services Accessibility public health health care delivery
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85040016427&doi=10.1016%2fj.healthpol.2017.12.010&partnerID=40&md5=e336e07ce0fc6b6b4c95b10c14df3c03
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2017.12.010
ISSN: 01688510
Cited by: 8
Original Language: English