The World Assembly,
Noting that adequate and affordable medical care is necessary to ensure the health of individuals and society as a whole,
Understanding that the unique medical needs of individuals can and do vary greatly, as does the medical infrastructure available within any given nation, and
Recognizing that there are occasions in which seeking medical care in a foreign country is in the best interests of an individual, hereby:
- Defines a "patient" as a citizen or permanent resident of a member nation seeking medical care within another member nation;
- Declares that, subject to this and extant World Assembly resolutions, member nations shall not obstructively interfere with the ability of their patients to seek medical care within the territory of a foreign member nation;
- Clarifies that member nations may implement reasonable restrictions on the ability of their patients to seek medical care within the territory of a foreign member nation to the extent necessary to address circumstances where:
- seeking medical care within the territory of said nation would present a severe threat to the safety of the patient, excepting potential complications caused by the medical care being sought;
- the patient in question is legally unable to make the decision to seek medical care in the territory of said nation due to incarceration, ongoing legal proceedings, or lacking legal competence; or
- there exists a compelling public interest similar in nature to the above, which clearly and demonstrably warrants restricting a patient's ability to seek medical care pursuant to this resolution and definitely outweighs the benefits to the patient in allowing such seeking of medical care;
- Prohibits member nations from retaliating or taking legal action against a patient for seeking medical care in a foreign member nation, except as necessary to enforce restrictions implemented pursuant to clause 3 of this resolution;
- Subject to other World Assembly resolutions, mandates that member nations implement clear and effective policies for providing necessary medical care to their incarcerated populations;
- Declares that patients within the territory of a foreign member nation have the right to:
- receive appropriate continuing or follow-up medical care upon returning to their member nation of origin, should providing such care not place an undue burden on the healthcare system of that member nation;
- receive, to the extent requested by those patients, accurate information concerning all medications prescribed to them, including their ingredients and known side effects; and
- be informed of available resources for resolving disputes arising from the medical care in question, including applicable domestic and foreign legal representatives, and to have potential disputes resolved in as timely a manner as can reasonably be provided, and to be made aware of their outcome;
- Subject to other World Assembly resolutions and other provisions of this resolution, requires member nations to collect and compile accurate and actionable data concerning their patients' reasons for seeking medical care in a foreign member nation, to such a degree that does not constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, and to use said data to identify and address weaknesses in their domestic healthcare systems; and
- Urges member nations to further improve domestic access to medical care.
