Spain tightens the rules on 'health tourism' in Europe

Spain tightens the rules on 'health tourism' in Europe
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By h.b. - Apr 24, 2010 - 10:39 AM
Spain wants the country of origin to remain responsible for health care for expats in the EU

EU Health Ministers family photo in Madrid on Friday - EFE

Spain has proposed restrictions on so-called ‘health tourism’ in Europe.

Under current European law you cannot prohibit a person looking for health care in another member state, but what can be done is to make the process so complicated that it does not happen.

An informal meeting of EU health ministers in Madrid on Friday, with low attendance because of the continued air transport disruption, ended with the suggestion that a citizen from one country who lives in another, and who wants to be treated in a third country, will have to obtain an authorisation from his or her doctor for the transfer. The hospital in the third country must be of a quality guaranteed by that country, but even if these conditions are met, there would be a ban on the patient actually being admitted overnight, or from taking part in any experimental treatments.

The idea of such restrictions is to make the person either return to his or her country of origin, or to remain in their country of residence for treatment.

Health Minister, Trinidad Jiménez, admitted that such situations are not common, but they had to consider all possible cases.

Regarding the far more common case of foreign residents in Spain, they have the right to treatment here because Spain charges a fixed rate to their country of origin whether they use the health service here or not. Spain is insistent that it should be the country of origin which picks up the bill for expat treatments, and from May 1 the idea is that no EU resident will be able to simply choose to have treatment in Spain or any other EU country.

The new rule, over which 15 countries are now in agreement, will make the country of origin responsible for the payment of health care, be it taken in the new country of residence, or if the patient decides to return ‘home’ for the care.

Tourists are currently entitled only to emergency cover when in Spain, and following treatment the bill is then sent to their country of origin.

Spain remains firmly against the previous proposal, supported by the UK and others, that citizens can use private or public facilities in any member state and that this should be paid for by the country of residence (as opposed to origin) of the patient. The Spanish objection is logical when the high number of retired foreign residents in Spain is considered.

Trinidad Jiménez noted that Spain has gone from being in a minority position on the matter to holding the EU Presidency, and therefore proposes the new text which it hopes will be brought into EU law before the end of the presidency in July.

It should be pointed out that the above does not apply to the EU worker who is paying into the Spanish Social Security system, and who is fully entitled to free Spanish health care as a result.

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