Managing Misconceptions about EU CitizensÂ’ Access to Domestic Public Healthcare: An EU-Level Response?

This article explores the interaction between EU movement of persons and the access to and financing of public healthcare in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The article will show that particularly in a time of relative austerity and a seeming lack of cross-border solidarity, the non-d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European public law 2019-12, Vol.25 (4), p.709-734
Main Author: Mars, Sylvia De
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citizenship
EU membership
Health care
Health care policy
Health services
Immigration
Noncitizens
Observatories
Perceptions
Referendums
Taxation
Tourism
Treaties
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Summary:This article explores the interaction between EU movement of persons and the access to and financing of public healthcare in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The article will show that particularly in a time of relative austerity and a seeming lack of cross-border solidarity, the non-discrimination obligations in the EU Treaties may encourage the Member States to cut back on tax-funded healthcare so as to not have to extend such care to nonnationals. It suggests that if the Member States cannot effectively rebut the persistent public concerns of 'EU welfare tourism' with statistics, it may be preferable for them to seek to address those fears at the EU level (by a re-coordination of responsibility for health care coverage) than to respond to them through domestic law (by increasing individual responsibility for health care costs).
ISSN:1354-3725
1354-3725
DOI:10.54648/euro2019037