European patients may seek publicly funded health care abroad within Europe in various circumstances – as tourists requiring urgent care; when living and working abroad; or by travelling especially to receive care. A draft European Union (EU) Directive, currently the subject of debate between the Council of
Ministers and the European Parliament, aims to set out definitively patients’ rights to receive publicly funded health care in other European countries.
This briefing provides a summary of the current legal situation and the contents of the draft Directive, and outlines some of the issues raised by seminar participants.