Healthcare in Italy
Encyclopedia
For a general article on health
in Italy, see health in Italy
Health care
spending in Italy
accounted for 9.0% of GDP in 2006 (about $2,600 per capita) of which about 75% is public, slightly more than the average of 8.9% in
OECD
countries.
Life expectancy at birth was 80.9 years in 2004, which is two years above the OECD average.
Italy's healthcare system is regarded as the 2nd best in the world, after France
, and according to the CIA World factbook, Italy has the world's 10th highest life expectancy, after New Zealand
and Bermuda
. Italy also has the world's 3rd best healthcare performance.
Family doctors
are entirely paid by the SSN, must offer visiting time at least five days a week and have a limit of 1500 patients. Patients are assigned a doctor by the SSN but if they are dissatisfied with the assigned doctor they are free to change doctor, provided the doctor they choose has free slots.
Prescription drug
s can be acquired only if prescribed by a doctor. If prescribed by the family doctor, they are generally subsidized, requiring only a copay
that depends on the medicine type and on the patient income (in many regions all the prescribed drugs are free for the poor). Over-the-counter drug
s are paid out-of-pocket. Both prescription and over-the-counter drugs can only be sold in specialized shops (farmacia).
Visits by specialist doctors or diagnostic tests are provided by the public hospitals or by conventioned private ones, and if prescribed by the family doctor require only a copay (of the order of $40 for a visit without any diagnostic test) and are free for the poor. Waiting times are usually up to a few months in the big public facilities and up to a few weeks in the small conventioned private facilities. Patients, however, can opt for the "free market" option, provided by both public and private hospitals, which is paid completely out-of-pocket and has generally much shorter waiting times.
Surgeries and hospitalization provided by the public hospitals or by conventioned private ones are completely free of charge for everyone, regardless of the income. For the planned surgeries waiting times can be up to many months, especially in the big cities.
currently consist primarily of a combination of volunteers and private companies providing ambulance service, supplemented by physicians and nurses who perform all ALS procedures. The emergency telephone number
for emergency medical service in Italy is 118. First aid is provided by all the public hospitals. For urgent cases it is completely free of charge for everyone (even for the undocumented). A copay (about $35) is asked for non-urgent cases.
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
in Italy, see health in Italy
Health in Italy
For a general article on health in Italy, see health in ItalyHealth care spending in Italy accounted for 9.0% of GDP in 2006 of which about 75% is public, slightly more than the average of 8.9% inOECD countries....
Health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
spending in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
accounted for 9.0% of GDP in 2006 (about $2,600 per capita) of which about 75% is public, slightly more than the average of 8.9% in
OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade...
countries.
Life expectancy at birth was 80.9 years in 2004, which is two years above the OECD average.
Italy's healthcare system is regarded as the 2nd best in the world, after France
Health care in France
The French health care system is one of universal health care largely financed by government national health insurance. In its 2000 assessment of world health care systems, the World Health Organization found that France provided the "best overall health care" in the world...
, and according to the CIA World factbook, Italy has the world's 10th highest life expectancy, after New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. Italy also has the world's 3rd best healthcare performance.
National Health Service
Healthcare is provided to all citizens and residents by a mixed public-private system. The public part is the national health service (SSN = Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) which is organized under the Ministry of Health and it's administered on a regional basis.Family doctors
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
are entirely paid by the SSN, must offer visiting time at least five days a week and have a limit of 1500 patients. Patients are assigned a doctor by the SSN but if they are dissatisfied with the assigned doctor they are free to change doctor, provided the doctor they choose has free slots.
Prescription drug
Prescription drug
A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
s can be acquired only if prescribed by a doctor. If prescribed by the family doctor, they are generally subsidized, requiring only a copay
Copayment
In the United States, the copayment or copay is a payment defined in the insurance policy and paid by the insured person each time a medical service is accessed. It is technically a form of coinsurance, but is defined differently in health insurance where a coinsurance is a percentage payment after...
that depends on the medicine type and on the patient income (in many regions all the prescribed drugs are free for the poor). Over-the-counter drug
Over-the-counter drug
Over-the-counter drugs are medicines that may be sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional, as compared to prescription drugs, which may be sold only to consumers possessing a valid prescription...
s are paid out-of-pocket. Both prescription and over-the-counter drugs can only be sold in specialized shops (farmacia).
Visits by specialist doctors or diagnostic tests are provided by the public hospitals or by conventioned private ones, and if prescribed by the family doctor require only a copay (of the order of $40 for a visit without any diagnostic test) and are free for the poor. Waiting times are usually up to a few months in the big public facilities and up to a few weeks in the small conventioned private facilities. Patients, however, can opt for the "free market" option, provided by both public and private hospitals, which is paid completely out-of-pocket and has generally much shorter waiting times.
Surgeries and hospitalization provided by the public hospitals or by conventioned private ones are completely free of charge for everyone, regardless of the income. For the planned surgeries waiting times can be up to many months, especially in the big cities.
Emergency medicine
The emergency medical services in ItalyEmergency medical services in Italy
Emergency medical services in Italy currently consist primarily of a combination of volunteer organizations providing ambulance service, supplemented by physicians and nurses who perform all advanced life support procedures...
currently consist primarily of a combination of volunteers and private companies providing ambulance service, supplemented by physicians and nurses who perform all ALS procedures. The emergency telephone number
Emergency telephone number
Many countries' public telephone networks have a single emergency telephone number, sometimes known as the universal emergency telephone number or occasionally the emergency services number, that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assistance. The emergency telephone number may...
for emergency medical service in Italy is 118. First aid is provided by all the public hospitals. For urgent cases it is completely free of charge for everyone (even for the undocumented). A copay (about $35) is asked for non-urgent cases.
External links
- Italy - Information by World Health Organization
- Ministry of Health in Italy