KOHLL v UNION DES CAISSES DE MALADIE
JUDGMENT OF THE COURT
28 April 1998'
In Case C-158/96,
REFERENCE to the Court under Article 177 of the EC Treaty by the Cour de
Cassation (Luxembourg) for a preliminary ruling in the proceedings pending
before that court between
Raymond Kohll
and
Union des Caísses de Maladie
on the interpretation of Articles 59 and 60 of the EC Treaty,
THE COURT,
composed of: G. C. Rodriguez Iglesias, President, C. Gulmann, H. Ragnemalm
(Rapporteur) and M. Wathelet (Presidents of Chambers), G. E Mancini,
J. C. Moitinho de Almeida, P. J. G. Kapteyn, J. L. Murray, D. A. O. Edward,
J.-P. Puissochet, G. Hirsch, P. Jann and L. Sevón, Judges,
* Language of the case: French.
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JUDGMENT OF 28. 4. 1998 — CASE C-158/96
Advocate General: G. Tesauro,
Registrar: D. Louterman-Hubeau, Principal Administrator,
after considering the written observations submitted on behalf of:
— Mr Kohll, by Jean Hoss and Patrick Santer, of the Luxembourg Bar,
— Union des Caisses de Maladie, by Albert Rodesch, of the Luxembourg Bar,
— the Luxembourg Government, by Claude Ewen, Social Security Inspector,
First Class, in the Ministry of Social Security, acting as Agent,
— the German Government, by Ernst Röder, Ministerialrat in the Federal Ministry
of Economic Affairs, and Sabine Maaß, Regierungsrätin in that ministry,
acting as Agents,
— the Greek Government, by Vasilios Kondolaimos, Assistant Legal Adviser in
the State Legal Service, and Stamatina Vodina, specialist technical assistant in
the Community Legal Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acting
as Agents,
— the French Government, by Catherine de Salins, Deputy Director in the Legal
Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Philippe Martinet,
Foreign Affairs Secretary in that directorate, acting as Agents,
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KOHLL v UNION DES CAISSES DE MALADIE
— the Austrian Government, by Michael Potacs, of the Federal Chancellor's
Office, acting as Agent,
— the United Kingdom Government, by Stephanie Ridley, of the Treasury
Solicitor's Department, acting as Agent, and David Pannick QC and Philippa
Watson, Barrister,
— the Commission of the European Communities, by Maria Patakia, of its Legal
Service, acting as Agent,
having regard to the Report for the Hearing,
after hearing the oral observations of Mr Kohll, represented by Jean Hoss and
Patrick Santer, the Union des Caisses de Maladie, represented by Albert Rodesch,
the Luxembourg Government, represented by Claude Ewen, the Greek Government,
represented by Vasilios Kondolaimos, the French Government, represented
by Jean-François Dobelle, Deputy Director in the Legal Affairs Directorate of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acting as Agent, and Philippe Martinet, the United
Kingdom Government, represented by Richard Plender Q C and Philippa Watson,
and the Commission, represented by Jean-Claude Séché, of its Legal Service, acting
as Agent, at the hearing on 15 January 1997,
after hearing the Opinion of the Advocate General at the sitting on 16 September
1997,
gives the following
Judgment
1 By judgment of 25 April 1996, received at the Court on 9 May 1996, the Luxembourg
Cour de Cassation (Court of Cassation) referred to the Court for a preliminary
ruling under Article 177 of the EC Treaty two questions on the interpretation
of Articles 59 and 60 of that Treaty.
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JUDGMENT OF 28. 4. 1998 — CASE C-158/96
2 Those questions arose in proceedings between Mr Kohll, a Luxembourg national,
and the Union des Caisses de Maladie (hereinafter 'UCM'), with which he is
insured, concerning a request by a doctor established in Luxembourg for authorisation
for his daughter, who is a minor, to receive treatment from an orthodontist
established in Trier (Germany).
3 By decision of 7 February 1994 following a negative opinion of the social security
medical supervisors, the request was rejected on the grounds that the proposed
treatment was not urgent and that it could be provided in Luxembourg. That
decision was confirmed on 27 April 1994 by a decision of the UCM board.
4 Mr Kohll appealed against that decision to the Conseil Arbitral des Assurances
Sociales (Social Insurance Arbitration Council), arguing that the provisions relied
on were contrary to Article 59 of the Treaty. The appeal was dismissed by decision
of 6 October 1994.
5 Mr Kohll appealed against the latter decision to the Conseil Supérieur des Assurances
Sociales (Higher Social Insurance Council), which by judgment of 17 July
1995 upheld the contested decision on the ground that Article 20 of the Luxembourg
Codes des Assurances Sociales (Social Insurance Code) and Articles 25 and
27 of the UCM statutes were consistent with Council Regulation (EEC) No
1408/71 of 14 June 1971 on the application of social security schemes to employed
persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within
the Community (see the version amended and updated by Council Regulation
(EC) N o 118/97 of 2 December 1996, OJ 1997 L 28, p. 1).
6 It appears from Article 20(1) of the Code des Assurances Sociales, as amended by
the Law of 27 July 1992, which entered into force on 1 January 1994, that with the
exception of emergency treatment received in the event of illness or accident
abroad, insured persons may be treated abroad or approach a treatment centre or
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KOHLL v UNION DES CAISSES DE MALADIE
centre providing ancillary facilities abroad only after obtaining the prior authorisation
of the competent social security institution.
7 The terms and conditions for granting authorisation are laid down by Articles 25
to 27 of the UCM statutes, in the version which entered into force on 1 January
1995. Article 25 prescribes in particular that authorisation may not be given for
services which are not reimbursable under the national rules. Article 26 states that
the cost of duly authorised treatment is to be reimbursed in accordance with the
tariffs applicable to persons insured under the social security system of the State in
which the treatment is provided. Under Article 27, finally, authorisation will be
granted only after a medical assessment and on production of a written request
from a doctor established in Luxembourg indicating the doctor or hospital centre
recommended and the facts and criteria which make it impossible for the treatment
in question to be carried out in Luxembourg.
8 Article 22 of Regulation No 1408/71 provides in particular:
'1. An employed or self-employed person who satisfies the conditions of the legislation
of the competent State for entitlement to benefits, taking account where
appropriate of the provisions of Article 18, and:
(c) who is authorised by the competent institution to go to the territory of another
Member State to receive there the treatment appropriate to his condition,
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JUDGMENT OF 28. 4. 1998 — CASE C-158/96
shall be entitled:
(i) to benefits in kind provided on behalf of the competent institution by the institution
of the place of stay or residence in accordance with the provisions of the
legislation which it administers, as though he were insured with it; the length of
the period during which benefits are provided shall be governed, however, by
the legislation of the competent State;
(ii) to cash benefits provided by the competent institution in accordance with the
provisions of the legislation which it administers. However, by agreement
between the competent institution and the institution of the place of stay or
residence, such benefits may be provided by the latter institution on behalf of
the former, in accordance with the provisions of the legislation of the competent
State.
2. ...
The authorisation required under paragraph 1(c) may not be refused where the
treatment in question is among the benefits provided for by the legislation of the
Member State on whose territory the person concerned resides and where he cannot
be given such treatment within the time normally necessary for obtaining the
treatment in question in the Member State of residence taking account of his current
state of health and the probable course of the disease.
3. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall apply by analogy to members of the
family of an employed or self-employed person.
...'
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KOHLL v UNION DES CAISSES DE MALADIE
9 Mr Kohll appealed against the judgment of the Conseil Supérieur des Assurances
Sociales, arguing in particular that it had considered only whether the national
rules were consistent with Regulation No 1408/71, and not whether they were
consistent with Articles 59 and 60 of the Treaty.
10 Since it considered that that argument raised a question concerning the interpretation
of Community law, the Cour de Cassation stayed the proceedings and
referred the following two questions to the Court for a preliminary ruling:
'1. Are Articles 59 and 60 of the Treaty establishing the EEC to be interpreted as
precluding rules under which reimbursement of the cost of benefits is subject to
authorisation by the insured person's social security institution if the benefits are
provided in a Member State other than the State in which that person resides?
2. Is the answer to Question 1 any different if the aim of the rules is to maintain a
balanced medical and hospital service accessible to everyone in a given region?'
1 1 By those questions, which should be taken together, the national court essentially
asks whether Articles 59 and 60 of the Treaty preclude the application of social
security rules such as those at issue in the main proceedings.
1 2 Mr Kohll submits that Articles 59 and 60 of the Treaty preclude such national
rules which make reimbursement, in accordance with the scale of the Member
State of insurance, of the cost of dental treatment provided by an orthodontist
established in another Member State subject to authorisation by the insured person's
social security institution.
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JUDGMENT OF 28. 4. 1998 — CASE C-158/96
13 UCM and the Luxembourg, Greek and United Kingdom Governments contend
that those provisions are not applicable, or, in the alternative, do not preclude the
rules in question from being maintained. The German, French and Austrian Governments
agree with the alternative submission.
14 The Commission submits that the rules constitute a barrier to the freedom to provide
services but may be justified, under certain conditions, by overriding reasons
relating to the general interest.
15 Having regard to the observations submitted, the questions to be considered concern
first the application of the principle of freedom of movement in the field of
social security, then the effect of Regulation No 1408/71, and finally the application
of the provisions on freedom to provide services.
Application of the fundamental principle of freedom of movement in the field
of social security
16 The Luxembourg, Greek and United Kingdom Governments submit that the rules
at issue in the main proceedings do not fall within the scope of the Community
provisions on freedom to provide services, in that they concern social security, and
so should be examined solely from the point of view of Article 22 of Regulation
N o 1408/71.
1 7 It must be observed, first of all, that, according to settled case-law, Community
law does not detract from the powers of the Member States to organise their social
security systems (Case 238/82 Duphar and Others v Netherlands [1984] ECR 523,
paragraph 16, and Case C-70/95 Sodemare and Others v Regione Lombardia
[1997] ECR I-3395, paragraph 27).
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KOHLL v UNION DES CAISSES DE MALADIE
18 In the absence of harmonisation at Community level, it is therefore for the legislation
of each Member State to determine, first, the conditions concerning the right
or duty to be insured with a social security scheme (Case 110/79 Coonan v Insurance
Officer [1980] ECR 1445, paragraph 12, and Case C-349/87 Paraschi v
Landesversicherungsanstalt Württemberg [1991] ECR I-4501, paragraph 15) and,
second, the conditions for entitlement to benefits (Joined Cases C-4/95 and
C-5/95 Stöber and Piosa Pereira v Bundesanstalt für Arbeit [1997] ECR I-511,
paragraph 36).
19 As the Advocate General observes in points 17 to 25 of his Opinion, the Member
States must nevertheless comply with Community law when exercising those pow-
ers.
20 The Court has held that the special nature of certain services does not remove
them from the ambit of the fundamental principle of freedom of movement (Case
279/80 Webb [1981] ECR 3305, paragraph 10).
21 Consequently, the fact that the national rules at issue in the main proceedings fall
within the sphere of social security cannot exclude the application of Articles 59
and 60 of the Treaty.
Effect of Regulation No 1408/71
22 UCM and the Luxembourg Government submit that Article 22 of Regulation
No 1408/71 lays down the principle that prior authorisation is required for any
treatment in another Member State. To challenge the national provisions relating to
reimbursement of the cost of services obtained abroad amounts to calling into
question the validity of the corresponding provision in Regulation N o 1408/71.
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JUDGMENT OF 28. 4. 1998 — CASE C-158/96
23 In the proceedings before the Court, Mr Kohll submitted that he sought reimbursement
by UCM of the amount he would have been entitled to if the treatment
had been carried out by the only specialist established in Luxembourg at the material
time.
24 On that point, UCM considers that the principle that a person is subject to one
social security tariff only would indeed be complied with if the Luxembourg tariff
were applied, but claims that Regulation N o 1408/71 would compel it to reimburse
expenditure according to the tariffs in force in the State in which the service
was provided.
25 It must be stated that the fact that a national measure may be consistent with a
provision of secondary legislation, in this case Article 22 of Regulation No
1408/71, does not have the effect of removing that measure from the scope of the
provisions of the Treaty.
26 Moreover, as the Advocate General observes in points 55 and 57 of his Opinion,
Article 22(1) of Regulation N o 1408/71 is intended to allow an insured person,
authorised by the competent institution to go to another Member State to receive
there treatment appropriate to his condition, to receive sickness benefits in kind,
on account of the competent institution but in accordance with the provisions of
the legislation of the State in which the services are provided, in particular where
the need for the transfer arises because of the state of health of the person concerned,
without that person incurring additional expenditure.
27 On the other hand, Article 22 of Regulation N o 1408/71, interpreted in the light of
its purpose, is not intended to regulate and hence does not in any way prevent the
reimbursement by Member States, at the tariffs in force in the competent State, of
costs incurred in connection with treatment provided in another Member State,
even without prior authorisation.
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KOHLL v UNION DES CAISSES DE MALADIE
28 Consequently, the Court must examine the compatibility of national rules such as
those at issue in the main proceedings with the Treaty provisions on freedom to
provide services.
Application of the provisions on freedom to provide services
29 The dispute before the national court concerns treatment provided by an orthodontist
established in another Member State, outside any hospital infrastructure.
That service, provided for remuneration, must be regarded as a service within the
meaning of Article 60 of the Treaty, which expressly refers to activities of the pro-
fessions.
30 It must therefore be examined whether rules such as those at issue in the main
proceedings constitute a restriction on freedom to provide services, and if so,
whether they may be objectively justified.
Restrictive effects of the rules at issue
31 Mr Kohll and the Commission submit that the fact that reimbursement of the cost
of medical services, in accordance with the legislation of the State of insurance, is
subject to prior authorisation by the institution of that State where the services are
provided in another Member State constitutes a restriction on freedom to provide
services within the meaning of Articles 59 and 60 of the Treaty.
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JUDGMENT OF 28. 4. 1998 — CASE C-158/96
32 The Member States which have submitted observations consider, on the contrary,
that the rules at issue do not have as their purpose or effect to restrict freedom to
provide services, but merely lay down the conditions for the reimbursement of
medical expenses.
33 It should be noted that, according to the Court's case-law, Article 59 of the Treaty
precludes the application of any national rules which have the effect of making the
provision of services between Member States more difficult than the provision of
services purely within one Member State (Case C-381/93 Commission v France
[1994] ECR I-5145, paragraph 17).
34 While the national rules at issue in the main proceedings do not deprive insured
persons of the possibility of approaching a provider of services established in
another Member State, they do nevertheless make reimbursement of the costs
incurred in that Member State subject to prior authorisation, and deny such reimbursement
to insured persons who have not obtained that authorisation. Costs
incurred in the State of insurance are not, however, subject to that authorisation.
35 Consequently, such rules deter insured persons from approaching providers of
medical services established in another Member State and constitute, for them and
their patients, a barrier to freedom to provide services (see Joined Cases 286/82
and 26/83 Luisi and Carbone v Ministero del Tesoro [1984] ECR 377, paragraph
16, and Case C-204/90 Bachmann v Belgium [1992] ECR I-249, paragraph 31).
36 The Court must therefore examine whether a measure of the kind at issue in this
case may be objectively justified.
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KOHLL v UNION DES CAISSES DE MALADIE
Justification of the rules at issue
37 UCM and the Governments of the Member States which have submitted observations
submit that freedom to provide services is not absolute and that reasons connected
with the control of health expenditure must be taken into consideration.
The requirement of prior authorisation constitutes the only effective and least
restrictive means of controlling expenditure on health and balancing the budget of
the social security system.
38 According to UCM, the Luxembourg Government and the Commission, the risk
of upsetting the financial balance of the social security scheme, which aims to
ensure a balanced medical and hospital service available to all its insured, constitutes
an overriding reason in the general interest capable of justifying restrictions
on freedom to provide services.
39 The Commission adds that the refusal of the national authorities to grant prior
authorisation must be justified by a genuine and actual risk of upsetting the financial
balance of the social security scheme.
40 On the latter point, Mr Kohll submits that the financial burden on the budget of
the Luxembourg social security institution is the same whether he approaches a
Luxembourg orthodontist or one established in another Member State, since he
asked for medical expenses to be reimbursed at the rate applied in Luxembourg.
The rules at issue therefore cannot be justified by the need to control health expen-
diture.
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JUDGMENT OF 28. 4. 1998 — CASE C-158/96
41 It must be recalled that aims of a purely economic nature cannot justify a barrier
to the fundamental principle of freedom to provide services (see, to that effect,
Case C-398/95 SETTG v Ypourgos Ergasias [1997] ECR I-3091, paragraph 23).
However, it cannot be excluded that the risk of seriously undermining the financial
balance of the social security system may constitute an overriding reason in the
general interest capable of justifying a barrier of that kind.
42 But, contrary to the submissions of UCM and the Luxembourg Government, it is
clear that reimbursement of the costs of dental treatment provided in other Member
States in accordance with the tariff of the State of insurance has no significant
effect on the financing of the social security system.
43 The Luxembourg Government also relies on grounds based on the protection of
public health, arguing, first, that the rules at issue are necessary to guarantee the
quality of medical services, which in the case of persons going to another Member
State can be ascertained only at the time of the request for authorisation, and, second,
that the Luxembourg sickness insurance system aims to provide a balanced
medical and hospital service open to all insured persons.
44 Mr Kohll submits, on the other hand, that there is no scientific reason to conclude
that treatment provided in Luxembourg is more effective, now that the pursuit of
the medical professions is the subject of mutual recognition between Member
States. He further submits that the reference to a balanced medical and hospital
sector open to all must above all be categorised as an economic aim intended to
protect UCM's financial resources.
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KOHLL v UNION DES CAISSES DE MALADIE
45 It should be noted, first of all, that under Articles 56 and 66 of the EC Treaty
Member States may limit freedom to provide services on grounds of public health.
46 However, that does not permit them to exclude the public health sector, as a sector
of economic activity and from the point of view of freedom to provide services,
from the application of the fundamental principle of freedom of movement (see
Case 131/85 Gül v Regierungspräsident Düsseldorf [1986] ECR 1573, paragraph
17).
47 The conditions for taking up and pursuing the profession of doctor and dentist
have been the subject of several coordinating or harmonising directives (see Council
Directive 78/686/EEC of 25 July 1978 concerning the mutual recognition of
diplomas, certificates and other evidence of the formal qualifications of practitioners
of dentistry, including measures to facilitate the effective exercise of the right
of establishment and freedom to provide services (OJ 1978 L 233, p. 1); Council
Directive 78/687/EEC of 25 July 1978 concerning the coordination of provisions
laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in respect of the activities of
dental practitioners (OJ 1978 L 233, p. 10); and Council Directive 93/16/EEC of 5
April 1993 to facilitate the free movement of doctors and the mutual recognition of
their diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications (OJ 1993
L 165, p. 1)).
48 It follows that doctors and dentists established in other Member States must be
afforded all guarantees equivalent to those accorded to doctors and dentists established
on national territory, for the purposes of freedom to provide services.
49 Consequently, rules such as those applicable in the main proceedings cannot be
justified on grounds of public health in order to protect the quality of medical
services provided in other Member States.
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JUDGMENT OF 28. 4. 1998 — CASE C-158/96
50 As to the objective of maintaining a balanced medical and hospital service open to
all, that objective, although intrinsically linked to the method of financing the
social security system, may also fall -within the derogations on grounds of public
health under Article 56 of the Treaty, in so far as it contributes to the attainment of
a high level of health protection.
51 Article 56 of the Treaty permits Member States to restrict the freedom to provide
medical and hospital services in so far as the maintenance of a treatment facility or
medical service on national territory is essential for the public health and even the
survival of the population (see, with respect to public security within the meaning
of Article 36 of the Treaty, Case 72/83 Campus Oil v Minister for Industry and
Energy [1984] ECR 2727, paragraphs 33 to 36).
52 However, neither UCM nor the Governments of the Member States which have
submitted observations have shown that the rules at issue were necessary to provide
a balanced medical and hospital service accessible to all. None of those who
have submitted observations has argued that the rules were indispensable for the
maintenance of an essential treatment facility or medical service on national ter-
ritory.
53 The conclusion must therefore be drawn that the rules at issue in the main proceedings
are not justified on grounds of public health.
54 In those circumstances, the answer must be that Articles 59 and 60 of the Treaty
preclude national rules under which reimbursement, in accordance with the scale
of the State of insurance, of the cost of dental treatment provided by an orthodontist
established in another Member State is subject to authorisation by the insured
person's social security institution.
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KOHLL v UNION DES CAISSES DE MALADIE
Costs
55 The costs incurred by the Luxembourg, German, Greek, French, Austrian and
United Kingdom Governments and by the Commission of the European Communities,
which have submitted observations to the Court, are not recoverable. Since
these proceedings are, for the parties to the main proceedings, a step in the action
pending before the national court, the decision on costs is a matter for that court.
On those grounds,
THE COURT,
in answer to the questions referred to it by the Luxembourg Cour de Cassation by
judgment of 25 April 1996, hereby rules:
Articles 59 and 60 of the EC Treaty preclude national rules under which reimbursement,
in accordance with the scale of the State of insurance, of the cost of
dental treatment provided by an orthodontist established in another Member
State is subject to authorisation by the insured person's social security institu-
tion.
Rodriguez Iglesias Gulmann Ragnemalm
Wathelet Mancini
Moitinho de Almeida Kapteyn Murray
Edward Puissochet
Hirsch Jann Sevón
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JUDGMENT OF 28. 4. 1998 — CASE C-158/96
Delivered in open court in Luxembourg on 28 April 1998.
R. Grass
Registrar
G. C. Rodríguez Iglesias
President
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