Mr Madelin gave an very clear and impressive talk on the issues facing the integration of Health policy with economic policy and the ethical implications.
He started out by saying that health is a relatively young issue in Europe however it has a mandate and a Directorate General so it is definitely on the map and is here to stay.
He said that disparities are unjust and they not only exist between member states but in member states and this can be changed. Using ’healthy life years’ as an indicator gives us tangible measurement, however it is far from perfect.
Mr Madelin said that he believes that DG SANCO’s mandate should be extended beyond Europe’s borders. That it should be able to work with countries outside Europe as other DGs can, we need globalisation in the EU health strategy.
We have to be aware of our goals and not use numbers, treatment figures, so many hip replacements, so many people sewn up: this is not a goal, this is a last resort of those who have lost sight of the goal. Mr Madelin said that the way in which resources are allocated at present is bordering on lunacy. He sighted the example of BSE where there was horrific over spending on a disease that causes very few deaths when, by comparison, tobacco control receives very little support.
He also talked about efficiency vs equity as regards cross border cooperation and the legal right to travel to received better healthcare. Some insurance companies will not accept it and member states discourage it. He said that surveys have shown any impact would not be that large as willingness to go abroad for treatment is tiny. People would generally rather stay near home and be treated in a language they understand.
But in order to promote health we need the involvement of industry. We cannot separate them from the issue. Schemes that involve industry in a meaningful way are beneficial as long as they are not set up to fail.
Mr Madelin concluded by saying that health is a legitimate policy area however we are failing to discuss issues on a European level, we are far too splintered in our approach to health, and we need a more singular vision.
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