The study suggests that European citizens face widespread obstacles in health care – mainly the lack of coverage by public insurance for health services, administrative and economic complications in accessing services, and difficulties in obtaining medication from other European countries.
The criticism applies mainly to Portugal, Ireland and the UK, while Austria and Greece come out best in this context.
...Specific cases of discrimination against citizens who should normally be covered by health services were monitored in Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Portugal and the UK.
The study was carried out in the EU-15 member states, and in 39 of the biggest and most important hospitals, institutes and health organisations in Europe last year.
It monitored to which extent health providers respected the Charter of patients’ rights, introduced in 2002. It enlisted fourteen rights currently at risk in the EU due to the financial crisis of national welfare systems.
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