European Cross Border Health and Dental Tourism Aided by New Association

The European Cross-Border health system pattern is one that allows citizens to get health and dental treatment in other EU countries as well.

The Directive has been approved by the European Parliament this February.

ECHO’s aim is to actually facilitate the cross border healthcare throughout the EU countries, to help citizens exploit their rights and of course to help solving the problems that might arise.

The correct implementation of the Directive is very important, mainly because there will be so many health and other organizations involved in the process of health tourism (insurance companies, public hospitals, private clinics, etc.).

European citizens have welcome this opportunity, and look forward to receiving quality medical and dental care abroad, if they cannot access it in their country of residence. The organization is the only one at the moment formed especially to aid and to observe the entire process of health tourism.

The main organizations that the Association welcomes as potential members, includes:

• Healthcare service providers coming from both medical and non-medical sectors
• Health and dental insurance companies
• Healthcare funders
• Organizations that have direct involvement in the online medical sector (e-health)
• Associations that are directly involved in accreditation/certification processes (such as accredited medical schools for example).

Such an initiative is very important to all the members of the European Union, but a special attention is needed to the correct implementation of the directive and the general rules.

Therefore, ECHO will support all the member organizations and together they will cooperate for a successful partnership. There will be thematic meetings held which will be of great interest to anyone involved. The organization will also promote the regional projects and will actively get involved in supporting health and dental tourism and medical travel.

Those who became members of the association have signed “The Venice Declaration on Medical Travel” issued by the European medical industry. The key points of the declaration are:

• The right of each citizen to travel with the purpose of having access to better medical care
• The creation of global health systems that will appoint to individuals which are the best and the most cost effective health and dental treatment opportunities in their case.