Blog 1: European Countires adopting cross-border healthcare

Within the past month more European Union countries have passed with the European Directive on the topic of cross-border health care. This Directive states that citizens may travel and move within the EU while keeping their health coverage that their country provides them. This includes reimbursing all medical costs in which the person may endure. Not everything can be covered in other countries, patients with long-term care may not use this nor severe cases like an organ transplant.  One may not move to another country to get this cross-border insurance. Countries that signed with this law are Italy, Spain, Poland (with some restrictions), and Cyprus. Petros Petrides, health minister, believes that signing with the directive will modernize the health care systems of the EU and provide safe and healthy environments all around Europe. This law comes into effect in March 2014.

This law provides health coverage all around the EU if you are a member. Countries that join the directive help provide more medical help to members of the EU. Patients which need specialists that reside in neighboring countries now can travel and receive that help without the problem of opposing health companies. Even citizens who are members of a country not in the directive can travel to one to fulfill their health needs. Travelers and tourists making their way around Europe now know that they are covered in other countries which attract more to travel country to country since they know they are safe.  This will bring more tourist money into these countries’ economies since more members are more willing travel.