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Tuesday, 18 January 2011 - Strasbourg OJ edition

Patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare (debate)
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  Licia Ronzulli (PPE). (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, after a legal process that has lasted for years, tomorrow, we will finally vote on the report that will put European citizens who are forced to go abroad each year to obtain appropriate medical care on a sound legal footing.

This will allow all patients, and not only the best informed or richest, to benefit from rights that have already been recognised over the years in judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union. By opening up national contact points, cross-border access to healthcare will no longer be a leap of faith in which, to date, patients already debilitated by disease have unfortunately all too often had to deal with bureaucratic, linguistic and financial problems.

With regard to hospital care, the State of affiliation may ask patients who decide to seek treatment abroad for prior authorisation, and this is obviously necessary to protect the stability of its health system. More could perhaps have been done on certain points to protect patients, for example, with regard to the prior notification system, which will allow Member States to advance medical expenses, but only on a voluntary basis.

Lastly, I would like to stress my enthusiasm in taking part in a debate that has been conducted absolutely across the board with only one common denominator, namely, the priority of ending the ordeal of thousands of patients across Europe, and this moment seems at last to have arrived.

 
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