Peter Agius seeks easier access to healthcare for Maltese patients across the EU

The European Parliament is currently discussing a revision of the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive, with proposals calling on the European Commission and Member States to make greater use of EU rules that give Europeans access to healthcare across borders.

During a debate in the Committee on Public Health, MEP Peter Agius said that while the Directive offers significant opportunities in principle, its use in Malta remains very limited, particularly because patients may have to cover substantial costs upfront before seeking reimbursement.

Agius pointed out that in 2021, only 15 Maltese patients received healthcare in other EU Member States under the Directive. By comparison, hundreds of Maltese patients are sent to the United Kingdom for treatment under Malta’s bilateral agreement with the NHS.

Agius argues that more Maltese patients could benefit from specialised treatment in other EU countries if the options available were better known and procedures were made simpler and more accessible.

“UK hospitals have treated hundreds of our loved ones, and we must continue to strengthen our excellent relationship with the NHS. But EU membership also gives us access to specialised hospitals across the other 26 Member States, offering treatments that may not be available in Malta because of our size and limited patient numbers.

“I want Malta to make full use of the opportunities that come with EU citizenship by making it faster and easier for patients to access treatment in European hospitals through the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive.”

Agius is submitting 23 amendments aimed at adapting the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive to Malta’s needs. His proposals include improving access to medicinal products that are not currently available in Malta; allowing patients to seek a second opinion when a request for treatment abroad is refused; enabling costs incurred abroad to be billed directly to the Maltese health system rather than paid upfront by patients; covering travel costs; and widening the range of healthcare services covered by the national health system for treatment abroad.

Discussions on Agius’s amendments will continue in the Committee on Public Health until October, with a vote in the European Parliament plenary expected by the end of the year.