he Government warned today it would not finance a "health tourism" free-for-all under plans to give NHS patients rights to shop around Europe for the best and quickest medical treatment. Proposals from the European Commission would guarantee that the cost of treatment elsewhere in the EU is reimbursed by the patient's own national health scheme back home. The plan follows years of legal cases in which European court judges have ruled that freedom to cross EU borders for treatment should be a right for all. Today's draft law states that, as long as a treatment is covered under the patient's national healthcare system, he or she can opt to receive the treatment in another EU country and be reimbursed "without prior authorisation".
he Government warned today it would not finance a "health tourism" free-for-all under plans to give NHS patients rights to shop around Europe for the best and quickest medical treatment.
Proposals from the European Commission would guarantee that the cost of treatment elsewhere in the EU is reimbursed by the patient's own national health scheme back home.
The plan follows years of legal cases in which European court judges have ruled that freedom to cross EU borders for treatment should be a right for all.
Today's draft law states that, as long as a treatment is covered under the patient's national healthcare system, he or she can opt to receive the treatment in another EU country and be reimbursed "without prior authorisation".
How dare patients expect their rights! Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. --Charu Saxena.
