Cross-border healthcare in the EU: Interaction between Directive 2011/24/EU and the Regulations on social security coordination

Directive 2011/24/EU does not aim to promote cross-border healthcare in the EU, but aims to ensure the freedom to provide this service. However, its national implementation is providing visibility to the different reimbursement options available, including those envisaged under the coordination Regulations. When reimbursement is possible under both routes, the Directive route only applies if the patients request it explicitly. The assumption that the Regulations are always the better option is not reliable. This article identifies the situations where the Directive route can be more beneficial for the patient; to a large extent that will depend on the national implementation options adopted. Interaction is a difficult issue insofar as this implies comparing two instruments, each with a different logic which provide very different coverage on the basis of not easily discernible assumptions. © 2014, ERA.