The European Union considers access to health care a fundamental human right, but the financial burden falls on various sources: mandatory health insurance (51%), government spending (30%), and household out-of-pocket payments (15%). Out-of-pocket payments vary significantly across EU countries, with Bulgaria having the highest at 35.5% and Luxembourg the lowest at 8.5%. Wealthier nations tend to have lower out-of-pocket costs due to better health insurance coverage. In 2023, the average EU household paid €542 out of pocket for health care, with significant variations among countries. Teljes cikk (Euronews.com)