EU cross-border health scheme branded 'too risky'

The EU has been urged to change its cross-border healthcare directive to ensure it does not become an "extension" of the internal market.

The draft legislation, which will allow patients to seek treatment in any EU country, has proved highly controversial.

Now key employer and trade union stakeholders have called on EU health ministers to redraft the proposal "so that it is based fundamentally on universal healthcare principles."

The demand was made at the 8th congress of the European Federation of Public Services Unions (EPSU) in Brussels on Thursday.

EPSU is the EU umbrella body for some eight million public service workers in 200 trade unions throughout Europe.

Speaking at the four-day event, EPSU general secretary Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, said some  smaller EU member states like Belgium have consistently expressed concerns that the directive could have a negative impact on their health systems if there is a large influx of patients from other countries.

She told this website the plan could have an impact on how services are planned and funded, adding, "There are too many risks associated with this directive and we do not want liberalisation of healthcare systems.

"The draft legislation will bring healthcare systems in different countries into competition with each other.

"We are saying that member states should continue to have prior authorisation rights on this matter."

The German added, "It is not for the European institutions to impose market competition mechanisms in the healthcare sector which could lower standards and increase costs."

This year's congress, which has been attended by 550 delegations, ends today.

The directive dominated this week's meeting of European health ministers in Luxembourg, with a small bloc of countries saying they are firmly opposed to the basic principle of the plan.

Spain and Portugal are firmly opposed to the proposal while Hungary, Poland and Italy also have reservations about what is proposed and may seek to impose limitations on the kinds of treatment that will be reimbursed under the new system.

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