International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Is It More Important to Address the Issue of Patient Mobility or to Guarantee Universal Health Coverage in Europe?; Comment on “Regional Incentives and Patient Cross-Border Mobility: Evidence From the Italian Experience”

Document Type : Commentary

Author
Helena Legido-Quigley 1, 2
1 Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
2 Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
10.15171/ijhpm.2015.163
Abstract
This paper discusses whether European institutions should devote so much attention and funding to cross-border healthcare or they should instead prioritise guaranteeing universal health coverage (UHC), inequalities and tackling the effects of austerity measures. The paper argues through providing the evidence in both areas of research, that the priority at European level from a public health and social justice perspective should be to guarantee UHC for all the population living in Europe and prioritise protective action for those who are most in need.
Keywords
Patient Mobility
Austerity
Financial Crisis
European Union
Subjects
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  • Received Date 02 July 2015
  • Revised Date 02 September 2015
  • Accepted Date 31 August 2015
  • First Published Date 01 January 2016
  • Published Date 01 January 2016