ITALIAN HEALTH COSTS, PRODUCTION NEWS

The New Year has brought Italians a significant increase in the costs of their health care, following the turning of the 1992 finance bill into law by President Francesco Cossiga, who signed it after it had received parliamentary approval.

As a result of the new legislation the ticket, or patient contribution to the costs of medicines and other forms of treatment, has now been increased to 50% of the cost of the treatment or service, up from a level of 40% previously.

Moreover, the fixed ticket on prescriptions containing up to three drugs has now been set at a level of 3,000 lire ($2.61), while antibiotics and a few other specialties carry a 1,500-lire ticket. A ceiling of 70,000 lire ($60.88) has been established on tickets on tests and diagnostics, and the whole population, apart from those who are retired and living on a low income, are now required to pay these increases.