SUPPLYING CROSS BORDER HEALTHCARE SERVICES IN

HUNGARY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION DIRECTIVE ON PATIENTS’ RIGHTS

Attila MOLNAR

President of EGVE (Hungary)

PRINCIPLES

Healthcare services must be subject to the principle that citizens of the Union must access these services free of discrimination in any given member state:

Based on the right to equal treatment, any member state must accept all European Union citizens (incoming patients) even in publicly-funded healthcare institutions.

At the same time, this liberty may be submitted to certain, proportional restrictions as follows:

Incoming patients must only be accepted if it does not endanger the provision of

healthcare services for own citizens

The range of services, to which insured citizens may have an access in other

member states with reimbursement of expenses, should be defined (authorization )

The amount of the contribution to the expenses of healthcare services supplied in another member state , paid by the insurer in any member state, does not to exceed the usual amount that is paid for covering the treatment of citizens in their own country (reimbursement of inland allowance only)

The Hungarian legislation

The principles entirely prevail in the Hungarian legislation

Each publicly financed institute is entitled to accept patients who are subject to the Directive

Only those procedures specified in the valid Hungarian legislation can be accessed

Refusal of care is only justified in case of jeopardy of inland patients’ care. The Healthcare Service Provider must communicate the fact and reasoning of the refusal in writing.

EU citizens are entitled to freely choose the Institute in which they want to access healthcare services

Either with directly turning to the chosen Service Provider, or

With the help from the National Contact Point

The Hungarian legislation The connection between the patient, and either the Healthcare

Provider or the NCP, comes into being by the initiation of the patient

The use of Hungarian language is preferred during

the period of care

Documents associated with the care (Discharge Letter,

Invoice, Account Statement) are prepared in Hungarian

language. If translation is required, it falls to the

patient’s scope.

The Hungarian party does not investigate whether

the care to be accessed, is or is not subject to approval in the patient’ s own country.

Concerning the care, a civil law contract comes into

being between the patient and the Hospital

SPECIALITIES IN LEGISLATION

Referral

Patients arriving from any member state may enter the healthcare

system at any level of progressivity, referrals from abroad must be accepted

If the referral can not be interpreted clearly by the doctor, the patient

can be asked to show up a valid Hungarian referral document

Waiting list

Services are supplied on the basis of Hungarian professional legislation

Placing patients on waiting lists for certain procedures is a part of this legislation

Inland waiting list rules should be appropriately applied

Average waiting times

Procedure Average waiting time in days

Inguinal hernia repair 30

Vertebral stabilization 31

Percutaneous coronary intervention 35

Arthroscopy 52

Glaucoma repair 60

Open-heart surgery 208

Transurethral prostatectomy 208

Hip replacement 370

Knee replacement 457

REIMBURSEMENT LIABILITY

Patients from the EU must pay for healthcare services that are supplied complying to the provisions of the directive . The supplier is entitled to ask for the calculated fee of services in advance

(advanced payment invoice). When the medical

attendance/treatment is over, the patient receives a final invoice that serves as a base for the reimbursement of the emerging difference.

Payment can either be accomplished by bank transfer or cash (HUF). The supplier is obliged to inform the patient about

methods of payment modalities before initiating medical treatment.

In case of emergency care, general emergency rules apply.

National Contact Point www.patientrights.hu

Information blocks on website I.

Healthcare system in Hungary (In English language.)

Act CLVI of 1997 on healthcare.

Structure of the health system.

Specific Rules for Patients from the European Union – Cross-Border Care

Financing the Hungarian Healthcare System

Emergency Care in Hungary

The European Health Insurance Card

Expenses and reimbursement of unforeseen medical treatments

Information blocks on website II.

Planned Care in Hungary

Care provided for EU patients arriving into Hungary

Use of language in the course of care

Payment for the costs of care

Restrictions and Complaints

Quality Assurance of Healthcare Services – Quality Control Systems

NCP services

General information on web site

Personal contact, web messaging

Provider access possibilities (offering provider)

Price information (via National Health Insurrence Fund )

Connections with other National Contact points

OBDK National Contact Point in Hungary • Address: 1075 Budapest, Madách tér 3-4.

IV. emelet • Postal address: 1365 Bp., Pf.: 646 • Telephone: +36-20-999-0025 • Free call (only in Hungary): 06-80-620-600 • E-mail: info@patientsrights.hu • Personal consultation

You can contact us personally by prior appointment in the office of the National Contact Point (3-4 Madách tér, 1075 Budapest) every Tuesday between 10-12 a.m.

• Available languages: English, german, italian, roman, french and hungarian.

Thank You for Your attention … this is the theory, let’s see the practice….