Tackling inequalities in people's access to healthcare

Key points

The EESC:

• warns of rising healthcare inequalities in the EU, worsened by the cost-of-living crisis and affecting the most vulnerable;
• urges support for low-income individuals through reduced or reimbursed health and long-term care costs;
• reaffirms that access to healthcare is a fundamental right and calls for full implementation of principles 16 and 18 of the European Pillar of Social Rights;
• supports existing EU initiatives like EU4Health and the Pharmaceutical Strategy, but calls for better monitoring and consistent implementation across Member States;
• calls for a clearer, more effective framework for cross-border healthcare;
• advocates for sharing best practices in inclusive health and social care, including a possible common classification system;
• reiterates the need for a European Care Guarantee to ensure permanent access to affordable, quality care and to address workforce shortages and working conditions;
• recommends monitoring how the principles of the EPSR are implemented and ensuring accountability by Member States;
• recommends increasing investment in public healthcare and targeting EU funds to reduce economic barriers;
• recommends conducting research on regional disparities in health policy;
• recommends developing EU-level guidelines to tackle financial, organizational, and discriminatory barriers;
• recommends promoting social economy and innovation to enhance healthcare access.