The Making of a European Healthcare Union: A Federalist Perspective

European Journal of Public Policy, (online first) 2015 Forthcoming

37 Pages Posted: 20 May 2015

See all articles by Hans Vollaard

Hans Vollaard

Leiden University

Hester van de Bovenkamp

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)

Dorte Sindbjerg Martinsen

University of Copenhagen - Department of Political Science

Date Written: May 18, 2015

Abstract

EU involvement in healthcare policies is growing, despite the fact that national governments prefer to keep an almost exclusive say in these policies. This article explains how this shift of authority could happen and explores whether it will lead to a European healthcare union. It argues that federalism offers the most fruitful way to do so because of its sensitivity to the EU’s institutional settings and to the territorial dimension of politics. The division of competences and national diversity of healthcare systems have been major obstacles for the formation of a healthcare union. However, the EU obtained a role in healthcare through the impact of non-healthcare legislation, voluntary co-operation, court rulings, governments’ joint-decision traps, and fiscal stress of member states. The emerging European healthcare union is a system of cooperative federalism without much cost-sharing. The healthcare union’s robustness is limited, also because it does not generate much loyalty towards the EU.

Keywords: European integration; federalism; healthcare; joint-decision trap; patients’ rights directive

Suggested Citation

Vollaard, Hans and van de Bovenkamp, Hester and Martinsen, Dorte Sindbjerg, The Making of a European Healthcare Union: A Federalist Perspective (May 18, 2015). European Journal of Public Policy, (online first) 2015 Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2607528

Hans Vollaard

Leiden University ( email )

Postbus 9500
Leiden, Zuid Holland 2300 RA
Netherlands

Hester Van de Bovenkamp

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) ( email )

Burgemeester Oudlaan 50
3000 DR Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland 3062PA
Netherlands

Dorte Sindbjerg Martinsen (Contact Author)

University of Copenhagen - Department of Political Science ( email )

Øster Farimagsgade 5
Copenhagen
Denmark
+45 3532 3426 (Phone)

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
44
Abstract Views
387
PlumX Metrics