Access to health services in EU - response to prelimenary opinion

According to survey results published by members of The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) in September and October 2015, many European consumers struggle to pay for the health services they need. Altroconsumo reports that 46% of Italian households gave up health care because they could not afford to pay for it. At the same time, 1 in 5 Belgian households cannot afford to pay their medical bills, according to a survey by Test-Achats/Test-Aankoop. Results from OCU indicate that Spanish households now pay 58% more for their medicines in than in 2010. A survey of Portuguese consumers in 2014 showed that 39% of respondents did not buy a medicine over a 3-month period because they could not pay for it.

This paper provides an answer to the Preliminary Opinion on Access to Health Services in the EU by the Expert Panel on Effective ways of investing in health.