Patients with rare cancers to benefit from cross-border directive

Posted by Bronwen Maher on October 26, 2010 at 02:00 PM

Patients with diseases such as rare cancers, and residents of border counties from Louth to Donegal will see considerable benefits from the proposed EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive, Labour MEP Nessa Childers has said.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, 27th October) the European Parliament committee responsible for public health will move a decisive vote on the Directive a step closer.

Nessa Childers said. “Access to cross border healthcare will be considerably easier and more patient-friendly if a proposed new EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive is adopted by the Parliament in the New Year.

“The Directive’s stated aims are to help patients exercise their rights to access cross-border care; provide EU citizens with assurances about safety and quality of cross border care and to help national health systems cooperate in a way that achieves better outcomes for patients.

“The draft Directive is due to be voted on in January 2011 and will then go to the Council of Ministers for further consideration.

“Under normal circumstances patients prefer to be treated near to their homes. But sometimes the specialist expertise they need, particularly in the case of those with rare cancers is provided in another Member State and not in their own country of residence. If adopted, the Directive will allow such patients to have access to the best clinical trials and specialised treatments available anywhere in the EU.

“Clear and precise information will be available from designated ‘national contact points’ where your rights as a patient will be clearly explained. Practical questions to do with the need to have ‘prior authorisation’ for certain procedures and treatments and the payment of costs would be addressed here also.”

“Healthcare is primarily the responsibility of the Member States and it is important to note that the proposed Directive does not create any new rights. Rather, it aims to achieve legal certainty for patients who need to travel for the best available treatment and care, codifying a series of European Court of Justice judgements about the rights of EU citizens to access planned healthcare in another Member State and their right to reimbursement of costs from their national health authority.

“The Directive must not be allowed become a rich persons’ charter, where only those who can pay up front and afford to wait for reimbursement can opt in. Clear protections must be built in to make equality of access to high quality healthcare a reality for all EU citizens irrespective of means or where they live.

“Clarity for patients about the authority that is overseeing quality and safety in cross-border cases and who is responsible for meeting the cost is fundamental also.”

“We need to clarify rules about access to healthcare in other Member States and the basis on which it will be provided, including administrative procedures and guarantees of objective and timely handling of requests especially in the case of patients with rare cancers and other debilitating rare diseases.”

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