Unsolved Questions Regarding EU Citizens Access to Public Healthcare Services in Spain
International Public Administration, 2015
13 Pages Posted: 19 Oct 2015
Date Written: April 19, 2015
Abstract
Spain is nowadays living the echoes of economic crisis adopting measures to boost employment figures and to correct the excessive macroeconomic imbalances. This paper reviews previous research findings on how these policies affect European citizenship and the access to welfare systems, healthcare provision in particular.
Special attention is paid to the so-called “medical tourism” and to the transposition on Directive 2011/24 into national law. The challenges and transformations that the adequate provision of healthcare for EU citizens will require in the next future are also pointed out, notwithstanding some critical legal problems unsolved till the moment.
However, as the paper is aimed at underlining, the main barriers that still exist to exercise citizenship right to health protection within EU are not legal, but practical.
Keywords: medicare, public healthcare provision, medical tourism, cross-border healthcare
JEL Classification: K32
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation