Healthcare in Italy

Healthcare in Italy is a system that aims to give everyone access to medical care, no matter who they are. It is paid for mostly by the government, following a plan where everyone shares the cost through taxes. This idea comes from the Italian Constitution, which says health is a basic right for all people.

People in Italy live long lives because of this good healthcare. In 2018, the average person lived about 83 years, which is one of the highest numbers in the world. The country spends a big part of its money—about 9.7% of everything it makes—on healthcare.

Italy started its public healthcare system in 1978. It is called the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale and is managed by the Ministry of Health. Each region of Italy helps run its own part of the system, a change that came after a vote by the people in 2001.

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Beveridge model
Life expectancy
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2001 Italian constitutional referendum

History

After World War II, Italy rebuilt its health system, which included social health insurance managed by different funds. By the 1970s, this system had problems because not everyone was covered equally, and some funds ran out of money. Because many people were unhappy with how things were, leaders in Italy made big changes. In 1978, they created the National Health Service, which aimed to give healthcare to everyone through taxes. Private healthcare still existed but was only for people who wanted extra services not covered by the National Health Service.

National Health Service

The National Health Service began in 1978. It provides healthcare to all citizens and residents through a mix of public and private services. The public part, called the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN), is managed by the Ministry of Health and organized by regions. Each region must offer certain basic healthcare services to everyone living there.

Family doctors are paid by the SSN and must see patients at least five days a week, with a limit of 1500 patients each. People can choose their own family doctor, if available. Prescription drugs need a doctor's order, and if prescribed by your family doctor, they often cost less depending on the medicine and your income. Some medicines for people with low incomes are free. Over-the-counter drugs are paid for by the person buying them. These used to only be sold in special shops, but can now also be found in supermarkets.

Visits to specialist doctors or diagnostic tests can be done at public hospitals or private ones that work with the national health service. If your family doctor writes the order, you might pay a small copay, but poor people get these for free. Waiting times can be long at big public hospitals but shorter at smaller private facilities. In June 2024, the government made changes to help reduce waiting times, including opening clinics on weekends and creating a single phone number to find available appointments.

Performance

The Italian National Outcomes Programme allows the measurement of the quality and results of healthcare by region, which can vary a lot. For example, in 2016, the percentage of patients getting a special heart treatment within 48 hours of a heart attack ranged from about 15% in some areas to nearly 50% in others. This difference was larger than in any of the 11 countries studied by the OECD.

A report in January 2025 showed that only 20% of citizens pay more in taxes than they get back in healthcare services. There is a need for about €40 billion more to make the system match European Union standards.

Family physician

A family doctor in Italy studies medicine for six years, just like doctors who work in hospitals or other medical fields. After this, they must take a three-year course to become a family doctor. This course includes learning important skills like helping in emergencies and working with children, as well as spending time in real doctor’s offices.

To become a family doctor, someone must finish their medical studies at a public university. Then, they join a special program run by a professional group to complete their training. There are only a certain number of spots each year for these programs. People who do not have a permanent home or address are not allowed to have a family doctor by law.

Main articles: out-of-hours service, general medicine

Homeless, domicile, primary residence

Nurses

Italy has fewer nurses compared to the number of patients in hospitals. To help with this, some areas are bringing in nurses from other countries. For example, Lombardy is using nurses from Argentina, and other places are getting nurses from Paraguay, Albania, and Indonesia. The minister plans to hire some of the 3 million nurses from India to help meet the need.

Drugs

The Italian Medicines Agency decides which medicines can be sold in Italy, talks about prices with companies, and decides if the government will help pay for them. Medicines are split into three groups: ones patients pay fully, ones the government pays fully, and ones paid partly by patients and partly by the government (this last group is no longer used since 2000). In the second group, patients get the medicine for free from pharmacies, and the government pays later.

Some people, like those older than 65 or younger than 6, or those with certain long health problems, don’t have to pay for their medicines. People without homes can’t get this help because they need a home address to prove their income. Patients can choose between a generic drug and brand-name medicines that work the same way, but they might have to pay more for the brand-name one.

In 2025, rules changed so that medicines for common health problems like heart disease or memory loss would not get special government funding, depending on the patient’s health situation. Local areas in Italy can decide to help more people pay for their medicines.

Pharmacies

In Italy, pharmacies now offer more than just medicines. Thanks to new rules, you can also buy some medicines in supermarkets. Pharmacies have become places where doctors, hospitals, and health workers can work together to help patients.

Pharmacies in Italy can now do many health checks, like heart tests, lung tests, and blood sugar checks. They can give vaccines, such as flu and COVID-19 shots, and do simple tests for things like infections. Some areas even let pharmacies collect samples for cancer screening. This makes it easier for people to get care close to home.

Diagnostics

By June 2026, funds from the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Plan will help Italy replace 3,000 old medical machines with new ones. These new machines include CT scanners, MRI machines, and other important tools. This project will cost €1.2 billion. As of October 2025, about 2,800 of these new machines have been tested and are now being used in hospitals across Italy. This replacement covers about one-third of the 9,000 medical machines currently in use, many of which are old and need updating. The funding for this project does not cover the cost of training the staff needed to use the new equipment.

Emergency medicine

Main article: Emergency medical services in Italy

In Italy, all public hospitals offer first aid. If you need help right away, it is free for everyone, no matter who you are. Sometimes, if it is not an emergency, you might have to pay a small amount, about $35, but help will still be given.