Patients’ rights on cross-border healthcare and the European Reference Networks

EU citizens have the right to access healthcare in any EU country and to be reimbursed by their home country, but how many people know about this right and benefit from it?

This high-level conference looked at the EU’s achievements in making cross-border healthcare more accessible, as well as at the barriers to making it more widely known and used. 

Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, and representatives from the 24 European Reference Networks, National Contact Points on cross-border healthcare, and numerous European experts discussed:

• Patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare
• Cross-border healthcare in border regions
• European Reference Networks for Rare Diseases

This event followed on from twelve national workshops on the implementation and the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare, which took place in various countries during 2024-2025.

• Agenda
• Summary report
• Photos
• Videos:
  • The national workshops on crossborder healthcare since 2024
  • The regional workshops on crossborder healthcare since 2024

Useful links

• Cross-border healthcare - Public Health - European Commission
• European Reference Networks - Public Health - European Commission

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