Italy’s National Health Service automatically covers all citizens and legal foreign residents. It is funded by corporate and value-added tax revenues collected by the central government and distributed to the regional governments, which are responsible for delivering care.
Is health care in Italy free?
Is healthcare free in Italy? Healthcare in Italy is not free, but the fees are usually quite reasonable and Emergency Medical Assistance is provided to anyone in need, regardless of their nationality, without asking for upfront payment. Healthcare in Italy is provided to anyone with a mixed Public and Private system.
How does the Italian healthcare system work?
The Italian state runs a universal public healthcare system since 1978. However, healthcare is provided to all citizens and residents by a mixed public-private system. The public part is the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, which is organised under the Ministry of Health and administered on a devolved regional basis.
How much does the Italian government spend on healthcare?
Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year. Italy healthcare spending for 2019 was $2,906, a 3.17% decline from 2018.
Italy Healthcare Spending 2000-2022.
| Italy Healthcare Spending – Historical Data |
| Year |
Per Capita (US $) |
% of GDP |
| 2019 |
$2,906 |
8.67% |
| 2018 |
$3,001 |
8.68% |
| 2017 |
$2,810 |
8.68% |
How is healthcare financed in Italy? – Related Questions
Who pays for healthcare in Italy?
Italians enjoy the 6th highest life expectancy in the world, as well as very low levels of infant mortality. In December 1978, Italy created a national, universal health-care system, called the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, or simply SSN. The SSN automatically covers all Italian citizens and legal foreign residents.
Who spends the most on healthcare in Europe?
Among the EU Member States, Germany (11.7 %) and France (11.1 %) had the highest healthcare expenditure relative to GDP in 2019.
What percent of GDP does Italy spend on healthcare?
In 2020, the total healthcare expenditure (public, private, and out-of-pocket) peaked at 9.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, also as a result of the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Total health expenditure as share of GDP in Italy from 2005 to 2021.
| Characteristic |
Share of GDP |
| – |
– |
Where does Italy rank in healthcare?
Best Healthcare in the World 2022
| Country |
LPI 2020 Ranking |
CEO World Ranking |
| Portugal |
27 |
22 |
| South Korea |
28 |
1 |
| Israel |
30 |
21 |
| Italy |
31 |
37 |
How does Italy’s healthcare system compared to the United States?
One primary distinction between the two is that the American healthcare delivery system is a hybrid of public and private payers, while Italy relies predominantly on a universal public healthcare system augmented by a growing private system.
Is dental free in Italy?
However, in Italy, the National Health Service doesn’t provide dental care coverage, unless it’s for youth aged 16 or younger or for those who are considered members of vulnerable groups. Those who need emergency dental care and are in financial need, may also be granted coverage.
Is ambulance free in Italy?
Ambulance service
For medical emergencies, all the Regions have an Emergency Health Service in place, which you can contact by calling 118 (ambulance transport to the hospital and emergency air ambulance). This service is normally free of charge on presentation of the EHIC or its provisional replacement certificate.
What happens if you get sick in Italy?
In Italy, patients are free to choose between public hospitals and private hospitals. Public hospitals normally provide both emergency and non-emergency services. At public hospitals, patients may receive emergency services at no cost or upon payment of a limited contribution, depending on the public hospital’s policy.
What does it cost to retire in Italy?
In order to retire to Italy, a foreign citizen must comply with a few requirements. Among these, the foreign citizen must be retired and have a minimum annual income of EUR 31,000. For married couples seeking to retire in Italy, the minimum amount necessary is EUR 38,000.
Is it cheaper to live in Italy or USA?
The average cost of living in Italy ($1221) is 42% less expensive than in the United States ($2112). Italy ranked 38th vs 6th for the United States in the list of the most expensive countries in the world.
Do you pay property tax in Italy?
Home owners in Italy pay property taxes to the Comune. The tax components together are called IUC, Imposta Unica Comunale.