Welcome to our regular look at everything you need to know about life in Italy for The Local’s readers from the US. This newsletter is published monthly and you can receive it directly to your inbox before we publish by going to newsletter preferences in ‘My Account’ or following the instructions in the newsletter box below.
Many of our international readers were dismayed to learn recently of Italy’s plans to introduce a €2,000 annual fee for non-EU residents to access the country’s national health service.
The health ministry later clarified that the rule would only apply to certain categories of foreign residents, which would include people in Italy on an elective residency visa (the majority of whom are pensioners), staff of non-Italian companies or organisations, and diplomatic or consular employees.
For these people however, which include many of The Local’s readers, this could mean a steep increase in the annual registration fee.
“Paying €2,000 a year would surely mean that we would expect better healthcare, but this is not a given,” American reader Jill Holmden told The Local.
“It seems unfair to retrospectively impose this cost on people already living here.”
The proposal was included in the first draft of Italy’s 2024 budget, which is subject to further changes before being finalised by the end of the year. Learn more about the government’s current plans in the article below:
Who would be affected by Italy’s plan to charge €2,000 a year for healthcare?
Italy’s government wants to introduce a €2,000 healthcare fee for some foreign residents. Photo by Ina FASSBENDER / AFP.
Whether or not the €2,000 fee is applied in the future, US readers will be relieved to hear that urgent care is always free in Italy.
Here’s one account from the archives of a US citizen in the Le Marche region who wrote about his positive experience accessing emergency services without health insurance when he began having trouble breathing.
“At one point a person with a clipboard came into the treatment room and I figured she was doing an insurance check. The doctor shooed her off, saying it was clearly an emergency,” he writes.
‘How I ended up in hospital in Italy – without health insurance’
Many American nationals who have used Italian healthcare tell us that, in contrast to US hospitals, they feel in Italy more money is spent on technology than niceties.
In a recent survey, we asked for your view on the quality of care you received in the Italian health system, and many rated it very highly.
“Excellent levels of world-class expertise” is how 83-year-old Florence resident Stephen Jenkins summed up his view of Italy’s medical services.
But many also said there is a general lack of comfort when it comes to facilities.
“You need to bring your own towels and cutlery but there are no facilities to wash or hang dry them,” noted Willem-Jan Kuiper in Le Marche.
And if bedside manner is important, you may find Italy’s hospitals somewhat lacking.
“Do not expect any sort of good bedside manner or customer service,” said 42-year-old Laura Andersen in Veneto.
‘Very professional but underequipped’: What readers think of Italy’s hospitals
Have your say: If you’d like to share your opinion or tell us about an experience you’ve had while living in Italy, please leave a comment below this article or get in touch by email.
And if you have any advice for other American readers who are considering moving to Italy, or questions of your own, you can add them to our ongoing survey here.
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