EU citizens have the right to access healthcare in any EU country and to be reimbursed for care abroad by their home country. Directive 2011/24/EU on patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare sets out the conditions under which a patient may travel to another EU country to receive medical care and reimbursement. It covers healthcare costs, as the well as the prescription and delivery of medication and medical devices.Â
Cross-border health and social care cooperation agreements are designed to benefit patients in a legal, concrete and direct manner by allowing them to take advantage of high-quality care as close as possible to where they live, as the nearest hospital may be located across a country border.
 PATIENTS’ RIGHTS
You have the right to receive medical treatment in another EU Member State and the right to have your home country cover some or all of the costs. You have the right to be informed about the treatment options open to you, how other EU countries ensure quality and safety in healthcare, and whether a particular provider is legally entitled to offer services.
The law clarifies patients’ rights to access safe and good quality treatment across EU borders, and be reimbursed for it. Patients traveling to another EU country for medical care will enjoy equal treatment with the citizens of the country in which they are treated.
 YOUR EUROPE HEALTHCARE
In order to get more information about cross-border healthcare, you need to make contact with the National Contact Point (NCP) in your country. Visit the ‘Your Europe Healthcare’ page to find more information about planned healthcare, unplanned healthcare, and prescription medicine for when you are travelling.Â