Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-27-Speech-3-094"
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"en.20050427.10.3-094"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, at a time when the European social model is under discussion – and when some are indeed calling it into question – this House is looking at modernising social protection and developing good quality health care.
I wish to start by saying that I support, in full, the priorities set out by the Council, which will lead to access for all to good quality health care, provided in a context of long-term financial sustainability. Although health and social protection policy continues to fall under the Member States’ competence, the EU has rightly taken a step forward by applying the open method of coordination in this area, thereby strengthening cooperation between national policies. In this regard, the open method of coordination is undoubtedly the most effective instrument in the current circumstances, although we are aware that measures of this kind are mainly geared towards the citizens as health care consumers. Unless there is a climate of confidence between the citizens and the health care services, none of this will be anything more than good intentions. As in all relations between consumers and suppliers, a climate of confidence is essential, and this is especially true of the health care sector.
In some Member States, the citizens’ confidence in the services falls well short of what one would wish to see. For the system to be able to work, it is crucial that the citizens have confidence in the services at their disposal, yet for this to become a reality, no information should be kept from the users of health care services. It should be made absolutely clear that patients’ rights are paramount and first and foremost among them is the right to information on their state of health, on the possibilities available to them in terms of health care and long-term care and on the level of quality of the care offered on the market by individual providers. The prime objective, which is at the moment still a utopian dream, is to provide every European citizen unlimited access to good quality services, regardless of age, sex, nationality and financial status. For this to happen, however, Member States must accept that reforms must be carried out to ensure the system’s financial stability. Accordingly, they will need to introduce the principle that the patient pays for certain health care expenses. The Member States must face the fact that every service comes at a price, although with regard to payment by patients, the person’s economic situation must be taken into account, with the onus naturally falling on the State to help the poorest sections of society.
Member State governments have sovereignty in this area, but this initiative must be seen as an important step towards the construction of a social Europe. I therefore welcome it wholeheartedly."@en1
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