When moving to Italy, you will probably need healthcare at some point. It's, therefore, important to know how the Italian health system works, how to be eligible for healthcare, and when to start requesting healthcare. The good news is that health is a priority in Italy, with all Italians keeping a close eye on their physical fitness as well as their appearance. In Italy, it is not uncommon to subscribe to private health insurance to complement the national health system.
Public and private healthcare in Italy
Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, or SSN, is the national health service and is accessible to all. Above all, it is partly State-funded. Healthcare in Italy is organized at the regional level and offers, in fact, the right to be almost fully covered in case of illness, accident, hospitalization, or various health problems. It is also possible to subscribe to a private health insurance company in order to be reimbursed for tickets or care not covered by the SSN.
How does the Servizio Sanitaro Nazionale work?
The SSN covers free or low-cost care, including consultations with general practitioners, treatments, subsidized medication, specialized care, hospitalization (or at least part of it), pediatric care and maternity care. The SSN is funded by taxpayers and regional VAT. It is managed at the regional and provincial level, and the structure you belong to is called Azienda Sanitaria locale (ASL). The SSN in northern Italy, including Lombardy, is among the best performing in the country.
The SSN is available to any citizen who is legally resident in Italy. All expatriates living in Italy with a residence permit are, therefore, entitled to the same treatment as Italian citizens. To do so, you must register with an ASL in your city of residence by presenting the following documents:
- A visa for Italy for citizens coming from countries outside the European Union;
- A valid identity document;
- Codice Fiscale;
- A valid letter from your employer or a valid work contract (or proof that you are self-employed);
- Residence permit (ask for a certificate of residence at the town hall's registry office);
- Household composition if you are married, unemployed, or dependent on your spouse
Once registered, applicants receive a health insurance card, the Tessera Sanitaria, which allows them to receive free care from the attending physician (medico di base) and benefit from discounts on prescribed medicines. For a consultation with a general practitioner, for example, you will not have to pay anything if you are registered with the health service and have chosen your doctor.
For other services, such as dental care, eye care, laboratory tests, X-rays, orthopedics and specialist consultations, the Italian health service only partially covers them, and you will have to pay the rest and request a refund from your private health insurance.
Good to know:
The "ticket" or participation system is how patients contribute to the cost of the public health services they receive.
The rates for services and fees and the tickets can vary from one region to another. It is, therefore, important to refer to your region's official portal for all the necessary information.
Important:
When declaring their annual income (between May and June), expats who work in Italy will have the opportunity to declare all the various treatments, examinations and treatments they have had to pay for during the year, to request a subsequent reimbursement if the SSN or the private health insurance company has not covered them.
Private health insurance in Italy
Private health insurance companies in Italy, known as polizza assicurativa sanitaria, function as supplementary insurance companies. They provide coverage for healthcare not covered by the SSN (such as those mentioned above). In addition, they make it easier to access expensive private healthcare services on a reimbursement basis. To have access to private medical services, it is best to subscribe to private health insurance if this hasn't been provided by your employer.
There are many benefits to using private health services in Italy, including the standard of care, the almost immediate availability of appointments, and the choice of facilities, technologies, and specialists available. However, expect the costs to be much higher than in the public sector. But if you have good health/hospitalization insurance, this should not be a problem.
Here are the most popular insurance companies for expatriates in Italy:
Other insurance companies such as Generali, Intesa San Paolo and UniSalute (Unipol Group) are also popular with Italians. Contact the insurer of your choice, which will offer you a solution according to your needs: personal insurance, family insurance, etc. You will be required to fill in a questionnaire to obtain a precise quote based on your age, personal and professional situation, family life, etc.
How does health insurance work in Italy?
Before signing an insurance contract, the insurer will need to check a number of things, including:
Age - most insurance policies have age limits, i.e., they cannot be taken out by people over an age that varies from company to company, usually ranging from 60 to 75 years old.
Health status - when taking out health insurance, you will have to fill in a detailed questionnaire on your health status. Consider speaking to your GP before doing so in order to provide up-to-date and correct information.
Regarding the payment of the insurance premium, this is usually done on a monthly basis, by transfer or by direct debit. But you can also pay your premium once or twice a year, depending on the options offered by your insurer.
As far as reimbursement of medical expenses is concerned, this is how health insurance generally works:
- You can either book a treatment, examination, or appointment with a specialist via the insurance portal, which will then take care of transmitting the information so that you do not have to pay for the service or at least part of it (beware, there are deductibles to be paid if you go to a health structure not agreed with your insurance). This is called convenzione diretta.
- Or you can request reimbursement, after the treatment, from the health insurance company by presenting the necessary proof. This is known as convenzione indiretta.
Good to know:
To refund applicants, some insurance companies require a prescription from the physician, in addition to the invoice, as proof.
Some companies in Italy provide health insurance to their employees. This means that employees do not have to subscribe to health insurance on their own and can benefit from treatment and examinations thanks to the agreement in place. However, a very small amount will be deducted from their salary every month, so make sure to check with your employer.
Some of the most popular and reliable health insurance providers with businesses in Italy include Fondo Est, Unisalute, Allianz, Unipolsai and Sara.
Useful link:
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