The role and limits of the European Health Insurance Card: (Too) great expectations?

Abstract

In line with the genuine spirit of scientific research, notably cultivating discussion, we make some reflections on the article of Stan et al. The main purpose of our commentary is to nuance but also to refute some of their observations and conclusions. First, the original purpose of both the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and of the European legal framework it forms part of seem to have been overlooked. Therefore, we argue that the assumption made by the authors, which served as the basis of the article, namely the European legislature’s promise the EHIC would contribute to European social integration, is erroneous. Second, we argue that there is insufficient evidence that the EHIC would amplify social inequalities across regions and classes. One could even argue that the EHIC is a visual symbol of the social dimension of the European Union. In practice, not only the EHIC but also the reimbursement principles as defined under the Coordination Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009 are of great importance. Without these rules, there would be a major barrier for all EU citizens in terms of access and affordability of unplanned necessary cross-border healthcare, and consequently to the free movement of persons.