The report reviews the implementation of Directive 2011/24/EU over the past three years. The directive cements the right to be reimbursed for healthcare accessed in another Member State, and outlines the responsibility that Member States carry in ensuring they have adequate healthcare systems in place. It also promotes cross-border cooperation on prescriptions, eHealth and HTAs.
Key findings
- Patients are increasingly more aware of their rights under the directive, resulting in increased cross-border patient mobility within the EU
- This increase is still not substantial enough to have an impact on the sustainability of Member States’ healthcare systemsÂ
- 24 Thematic Reference Networks (ERNS) for rare, complex diseases have been establishedÂ
- These bring together more than 900 highly specialised healthcare units dispersed over 300 Member State hospitals
- Over 200 virtual panels on patient cases operate under the ERNs
- A framework for cooperation between health systems in areas of Health Technology Assessment and eHealth has been createdÂ
