(a)patients receive from the national contact point referred to in Article 6, upon request, relevant information on the standards and guidelines referred to in paragraph 1(b) of this Article, including provisions on supervision and assessment of healthcare providers, information on which healthcare providers are subject to these standards and guidelines and information on the accessibility of hospitals for perso ...[+++]ns with disabilities.

patients receive from the national contact point referred to in Article 6, upon request, relevant information on the standards and guidelines referred to in paragraph 1(b) of this Article, including provisions on supervision and assessment of healthcare providers, information on which healthcare providers are subject to these standards and guidelines and information on the accessibility of hospitals for persons with di ...[+++]sabilities.

The Court of Justice has found that such planning seeks to ensure that there is sufficient and permanent access to a balanced range of high-quality hospital treatment in the Member State concerned.

This Directive should provide for a system of prior authorisation for assumption of costs for hospital care received in another Member State, where the following conditions are met : had the treatment been provided on its territory, it would have been assumed by its social security system and the consequent outflow of patients due to the implementation of the directive seriously undermines or is likely to seriously undermine the financial balance of the social security system and/or that outflow of patients seriously undermines, or is ...[+++] likely to seriously undermine, the planning and rationalisation carried out in the hospital sector to avoid hospital overcapacity, imbalance in the supply of hospital care and logistical and financial wastage, the maintenance of a balanced medical and hospital service open to all, or the maintenance of treatment capacity or medical competence on the territory of the Member State concerned.

23. Points out that, as regards hospital services in another Member State, the procedure for granting authorisation must provide a guarantee for patients protecting them from arbitrary decisions taken by their national authorities; points out that, in order to facilitate the free movement of patients without prejudicing Member States" planning objectives, in the light of the case law of the Court of Justice, hospital treatment should be defined narrowly as treatment which can only be provided within hospital infrastructure and may not be provided, for example, in a practitioner's surgery or at t ...[+++]he patient's home; points out, in particular, that any refusal to grant an authorisation must be open to challenge in judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings and that, for the purpose of assessing the medical situation of each patient, entirely objective and impartial advice from independent experts should be sought;

24. Points out that, as regards hospital services in another Member State, the procedure for granting authorisation must provide a guarantee for patients, protecting them from arbitrary decisions taken by their national authorities; points out that, in order to facilitate the free movement of patients without prejudicing Member States’ planning objectives, in the light of the case law of the European Court of Justice, hospital treatment should be defined narrowly, as treatment which can only be provided within hospital infrastructure and may not be provided, for example, in a practitioner’s surg ...[+++]ery or at the patient’s home; points out, in particular, that any refusal to grant an authorisation must be open to challenge in judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings and that, for the purpose of assessing the medical situation of each patient, entirely objective and impartial advice from independent experts should be sought;