Spotlight discussion - Tackling the two-speed Europe in access to care

Information

  • Availability of a number of treatments varies across the EU. What are the root causes of these discrepancies, and how much are late market assessments, evidence requirements, and pricing and reimbursement policies to blame?   
  • What is the role of policymakers and industry in tackling this —  mainly East-West —  gap? Has COVID-19 reinforced these inequalities?   
  • What is the impact of unequal access to treatments on survival rates? Which patients are particularly vulnerable? What does it mean for the EU’s values and unity?  
  • Can the health union narrow these discrepancies? And how much can health outcomes inequalities be reduced when economic inequalities are so marked between member countries, and health systems remain so distinct?  

Log in