The regulation of cross-border healthcare in the EU is based on two distinct pieces of legislation: Regulation 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems and Directive 2011/24 on patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare.
Under the Regulation, a patient must obtain prior authorization from his/her social security insurance in order to seek treatment in another Member State with a view to getting reimbursed in his/her home Member State; under the Directive, apart from some exceptions, a prior authorization is not required.
Our firm regularly provides legal advice to patients or patient associations on issues relating to the reimbursement of cross-border healthcare.
Thanks to our knowledge of these complex rules, we enable our customers to plan their care abroad. In some cases, we represent our clients in legal proceedings in order to assert their rights in light of the aforementioned legislation.