EU drafts plan for cross-border health care access

The European Commission has unveiled a healthcarepackage designed to make it easier for patients to get medicaltreatment elsewhere in the EU.    Under the proposals, patients would not have to get their doctor’s approval for non-hospital care abroad.  The European Parliament and EU governments must approve the rules for them to take effect.  Patients would be able to claim up to the amount their treatment would have cost in their home country.  The Commission’s draft directive is part of a wider”renewed social agenda” package aimed at clarifying citizens’ rights inline with European Court of Justice rulings. The package also includesmeasures to improve access to jobs and fight discrimination andpoverty.  In recent years the court’s judges have ruled that freedom tocross EU borders for the best and quickest treatment is a right forall.

Source/The Rest of the Story–BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7484198.stm