The deal, reached at ambassador level (Coreper), paves the way for a vote in Parliament on 19 January and increases the chances the cross-border healthcare directive could be in force as early as 2013.
"Negotiations have been tricky, since many member states were reluctant for a proposal for a directive," said French Member of Parliament Françoise Grossetête (European People's Party) and rapporteur on the draft bill.
The new rules would especially help retirees living abroad, people with rare diseases and those living near borders to get the best health care. Currently, only about 1%, or €10 billion, of public health budgets are spent on cross-border health care yearly, although that figure could rise with standardised rules for authorisation and reimbursement.
The Parliament, Council and Commission agreed to some significant compromises last week, according to a draft obtained by EurActiv. Among them:
- Prior authorisation shall be restricted to what is necessary and proportionate, and may not constitute a means of arbitrary discrimination or an unjustified obstacle to the free movement of patients.
- National contact points should be established in an efficient and transparent way and should be able to consult with patient organisations, health care insurers and health care providers.
- If cross-border treatment exposes the patient or the general public to a risk that overrides the interest of the patient, the member state should be able to refuse a request for prior authorization.
- For patients with rare diseases, that is defined as a prevalence of not more than 5 per 10,000, that it is serious, chronic and often life threatening.
But despite the additional 106 amendments, future negotiations will still have to address some thorny issues, including interoperability for e-health objectives, and what constitutes "appropriate" consultations of stakeholders when it comes to health technology assessments.
Nevertheless, Grossetête is determined: "Patients will benefit from clearer rules when they decide to go to another EU member state to receive healthcare treatment."
