EU drafts plan for cross-border health care access

The European Commission has unveiled a healthcare package designed to make it easier for patients to get medical treatment elsewhere in the EU.    Under the proposals, patients would not have to get their doctor's approval for non-hospital care abroad.  The European Parliament and EU governments must approve the rules for them to take effect.  Patients would be able to claim up to the amount their treatment would have cost in their home country.  The Commission's draft directive is part of a wider "renewed social agenda" package aimed at clarifying citizens' rights in line with European Court of Justice rulings. The package also includes measures to improve access to jobs and fight discrimination and poverty.  In recent years the court's judges have ruled that freedom to cross EU borders for the best and quickest treatment is a right for all.

Source/The Rest of the Story--BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7484198.stm