Madrid relaunches debate on cross-border health care

摘要

Although it was one of the countries that put up resistance to the directive on cross-border health care, Spain submitted to the Union's health ministers, meeting in Madrid on 22 and 23 April, a draft compromise to take the discussions forward. It tackles the main problems that led the Council to reject the Swedish EU Presidency's compromise, in December 2009: the legal basis, the underwriting of costs and prior authorisation. "This is just a working document, not an official text. It was not presented in detail to the ministers, but their reaction was positive. So we hope to reach agreement in June," commented Spanish Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez.