Healthcare systems in Europe are under pressure because of an ageing population and budgetary constraints. Sometimes, the healthcare that citizens need can best be provided in another Member State than their country of residence, due to proximity, the specialised nature of care, or the lack of capacity to provide that care in their own country. Ensuring EU patients’ rights to access safe and high-quality healthcare, including across national borders within the EU, and their right to be reimbursed for such healthcare is one of the goals of EU health policy and principles of the internal market. These rights are set out in the EU’s 2011 Cross-border Healthcare Directive.
We are conducting an audit on whether implementation of the Directive to date has been effective, and whether cross-border healthcare is delivering benefits to patients. In particular, we will examine the Commission’s monitoring and supervision of this implementation, the results achieved to date in delivering cross-border healthcare access, and the effectiveness of the EU funding framework and the action funded.
If you wish to contact the audit team, you may do so at the following email address: ECA-cross-border-heathcare-audit@eca.europa.eu.