Activities of Soledad CABEZÓN RUIZ related to 2018/2108(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Implementation of the cross-border Healthcare Directive (debate) ES
Amendments (26)
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas health protection is an important value for European citizens and the public health system is seen as crucial for preserving and guaranteeing universal access to health;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. having regard to Article 168(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which establishes that the organisation of health systems and the delivery of services are matters for the individual Member States;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the directive recognises the right to choose a method of treatment that differs from that provided in the Member State of affiliation, or healthcare that is of better quality than that provided in the Member State of affiliation; whereas this takes place within the public system – as the private system is based on free choice – and can place an economic burden on Member States regarded as attractive on account of their high-quality healthcare, and bearing in mind that the Member State’s costs are based on the costs of the Member State providing the healthcare; whereas the above can constitute discrimination depending on the economic circumstances of the patients travelling;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the entitlement to cross- border healthcare and to the European Health Insurance Card is dependent on being an ‘insured person’ in the country of affiliation, and this can vary among Member States;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas healthcare systems in the EU are facing challenges due to an ageing population, the emergence of health technologies, the high prices of medicines that in many cases do not add therapeutic value, the lack of new treatments for certain illnesses and budgetary constraints;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the health sector is a vital part of the EU economy, amounting to 10 % of its GDP – arepresents 10 % of GDP, i.e. EUR 1 300 000 million per annum, EUR 220 000 million of which is spent on pharmaceuticals and EUR 110 000 million on medical devices, and whereas that figure that could rise to 12.6 % by 2060; whereas, however, the fundamental right to health care enshrined in Article 35 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights should always be regarded as the most important, priority objective, and should always take precedence over economic interests;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the directive provides a clear legal basis for European cooperation and collaboration with regard to health technology assessment (HTA), eHealth, rare diseases and the safety and quality standards of healthcare services and products;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas vaccination programmes are not covered by the directive, even though they are one of the policies with the most impact, and bearing in mind the difficulties that some Member States have in accessing them;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. Whereas cross-border healthcare should be geared towards guaranteeing mobility for EU citizens, and whereas the European Health Insurance Card, an essential tool in that regard, is regulated by the Regulation on the Coordination of Social Security Systems, and its implementation varies widely among the various Member States;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas patient mobility in the EU remains relatively low and has not had a significant budgetary impact on the sustainability of the national health systems, owing to fears among the Member States that the directive will promote health tourism rather than mobility;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the organisation of health systems is an exclusive competence of the Member States, and whereas there are differences not only in the services provided but also in the way they are funded;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas freedom of movement must not give rise to discrimination in relation to healthcare; whereas different national criteria can give rise to discrimination in accessing the European Health Insurance Card, and ultimately in accessing healthcare; whereas the right to health must not restrict freedom of movement;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas the movement of patients between certain countries is very marked, such as from France to Spain, between France and Germany, and from Poland to neighbouring Member States;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
La. whereas, given that medical records and information are important in facilitating patient mobility, any future integration of health systems must, from a digital point of view, guarantee that the health systems are the ultimate custodians and managers of the information concerned, so as to guarantee fairness, sustainability and safety for patients;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Invites the Commission to proceed with its triennial evaluation reports on the operation of the directive and to submit them to Parliament and the Council accordingly; calls on the Commission furthermore to publish, on an annual basis, breakdowns of the benefits recognised and total amounts reimbursed by each Member State as cross-border healthcare provision;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission to harmonise the criteria governing access to the European Health Insurance Card, and the validity of the card, as well as the healthcare services covered; calls, furthermore, on the Member States to guarantee access to the European Health Insurance Card for all EU citizens, including temporary workers, self- employed persons and those in atypical employment relationships, as well as mobile jobseekers, without discrimination;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls on the Commission to take the necessary steps, and calls on the Member States to introduce policies to boost the quality of their health services, and to ensure that coordination at EU level does not under any circumstances give rise to discrimination, nor place an excessive burden on national systems funded by the taxpayer;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Calls on the Commission to consider expanding the scope of the directive to include vaccination programmes;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Emphasises that cross-border healthcare coordination may be beneficial in areas in which there is a need for awareness-raising or action to facilitate citizens’ mobility, but not in order to encourage such mobility; in this respect, recognises that there is a role to be played in health technology assessment and rare diseases, and that improvements need to be made with regard to access to prescribed medicines and continuity of treatment prescribed by the Member State of affiliation;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4e. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote the development and harmonisation of the European Health Insurance Card as an essential tool with which to guarantee freedom of movement for EU citizens, as well as cross-border healthcare, points out that obstacles to its use must be removed, and therefore that an automatic reimbursement system needs to be introduced across the Member States;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. EPoints out that the funding of cross-border healthcare is a matter for the Member States, which reimburse costs in accordance with the relevant regulations; points out, furthermore, that the Commission supports the cooperation referred to in Chapter IV of the directive via health programmes; in this regard, expresses serious concern about the proposed reduction in funding for the health programme; reiterates its call for the health programme to be restored as a robust stand-alone programme with increased funding in the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) (2021-2027), in order to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on public health, health systems and environment- related problems, and ensure an ambitious health policy with a focus on cross-border challenges, including, in particular, a considerable increase in common EU efforts in the fight against cancer, the prevention of chronic and rare diseases, combating anti-microbial resistance and ensuring easier access to cross-border healthcare;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to revise Article 7 of Directive 2011/24/EU so as to guarantee free movement for EU citizens and their families, without discrimination;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on the Commission to publish and analyse, on an annual basis, the reasons why patients move between countries;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Calls on the Commission to publish, on an annual basis, the services provided;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to assess the need to identify the reasons for granting access to cross-border healthcare in a way that guarantees free movement, but without healthcare being an end in itself as long as the organisation of health systems is a national competence;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19d. Calls for the pricing system to be reviewed so as to ensure that no burden is placed on public health systems, that patients are not encouraged to travel from one country to another for economic reasons, that the country delivering the service has no economic incentive do to so, and that pricing can help keep health systems sustainable;