Title: The patient mobility saga continues – Ruling of the Court of Justice of European Union in the case of Elena Petru
Abstract: From October 2013, European Union member states are obliged to adopt the new European rules allowing patients to search for health care abroad at the costs of the national authorities. The so-called cross-border care Directive (2011/24/EU) facilitates therefore patient mobility in the European Union (1). But only in case a certain treatment option is not (timely) available, or not equally effective in the country of residence, and when the treatment requested is among the benefits of the home member state. This new regime incorporates previous cross-border care rulings of the European Union’s Court of Justice, which are the main reason of this new Directive. Whereas member states are still in the process of transposing the Directive into national law, a new ruling from this Court has further triggered patient mobility with considerable consequences to low income countries.