Comparing unmet need for medical care across EU countries: does risk adjustment matter?

Under various international agreements, EU governments have an obligation to ensure equitable access to core health services, which implies a commitment to address levels of unmet need
for medical care (EXPH, 2016). In 2017, the European Commission put forward the European Pillar of Social Rights to deliver a social and fair Europe and to serve as a compass for change. The pillar includes three main dimensions in the field of employment
and social policies. The third dimension covers social protection and inclusion, including access to healthcare. The pillar is accompanied by a ‘social scoreboard’, which monitors its implementation by tracking trends and performances across EU countries and feeds into the European Semester of economic policy coordination. The European Semester supports Member States to coordinate their economic policies and deal with their economic challenges (European Commission, 2017).