European parliament agrees rules on cross border healthcare

From 2013 people living in European Union countries will be able to receive reimbursable healthcare in another EU country, as long as the type of treatment and costs involved would normally be covered in their own national health jurisdiction.

The European parliament agreed the conditions for benefiting from this right in legislation adopted on 19 January. The new rules are designed to clarify the situation for patients and health services after a series of judgments by the European Court of Justice over the past decade opened the door to receiving medical care abroad.

Françoise Grossetête, the French MEP who steered the legislation through the parliament, said afterwards, “Patients …