Italian Plan Aims To Cut Cost Exemptions

8 June 1997

In Italy, the government has launched a new plan to cut health spending.It aims to reduce the numbers of people who receive treatment totally free, who now cost the national health budget 20.7 billion lire ($12 million), and also provide fiscal support for the mutual funds.

The plan, which envisages savings of 1,600 billion lire in 1998, also contains measures to squeeze spending on drugs and diagnostics and restrict the simultaneous practice by doctors in both state and private sectors. Detailed measures will be put to the Treasury by Health Minister Rosy Bindi this fall. Speculation is that revisions to the "ticket" will certainly go ahead, with the Treasury favoring even more drastic intervention than promised, especially to contain hospital spending.

No-one aged over 65 or under six in families with income under 70 million lire pays ticket charges - some 10.4 million people. The new plan would cut the income exemption level to 40 million lire, below which all health care would be entirely free. Framework agreements with general practitioners would be re-negotiated, imposing new spending limits.

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