WRITTEN QUESTION E-1172/00 by Marialiese Flemming (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Age discrimination in health care.
Date: 2000-04-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, age discrimination, competence of the Member States, right to health

C 46 E/138

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.2.2001

(2001/C 46 E/158)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1172/00

by Marialiese Flemming (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 April 2000)

Subject: Age discrimination in health care

A prohibition on discrimination based on age was, for the first time, incorporated into the Amsterdam
Treaty (EC Treaty, Article 13). Yet there are some Member States in which certain, usually costly,
treatments or operations are no longer covered for patients above a certain age.

Has the Commission accurate data on practical arrangements applied in the different Member States as
regards age discrimination in health care?

Is the Commission prepared to forward such data to the European Parliament?

Does the Commission consider that guarantees must be given in every Member State that everyone,
independently of age, must be entitled to all medical treatments, and that the costs must be covered by the
social insurance schemes concerned?

If so, what action will the Commission take to prevent age discrimination from being applied to health
care, and how will this be implemented in practical ways in Member States?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(8 June 2000)

It is for each Member State to organise its own social security system, including health systems, and to
determine the conditions for entitlement to benefits under those systems. The Commission has proposed a
concerted strategy for modernising social protection (1) based around four key objectives, one of which is
to ensure high quality and sustainable health care, and this has been endorsed by the Council (2).

Regarding data, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its report on social protection in
Europe 1999, which provides an update on recent developments in Member States(cid:146) health care systems (3),
and to the mutual information system on social protection in the Member States (MISSOC) (4). However,
the Commission has no more precise data on the benefits or treatments provided to elderly people or
other specific groups within Member States(cid:146) health care systems.

in its communication (cid:145)Towards a Europe for all ages (cid:129) promoting prosperity and
Nevertheless,
the Commission underlines the need for improving access to health
intergenerational Solidarity(cid:146) (5),
treatment for all ages and for older persons, as well as the need for providing an adequate supply of
quality care for the very old and frail.

In addition, the Commission has highlighted the question of discrimination in access to public services,
including health care, in its proposal for an action programme to combat discrimination on grounds of
racial or eithnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age of sexual orientation (6).

(1) COM(1999) 347 final.
(2) OJ C 8, 12.1.2000.
(3) COM(2000) 163 final.
(4) Website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-prot/missoc98/english/f_main.htm.
(5) COM(1999) 221 final.
(6) COM(1999) 567 final.