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The Italian health-care system

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Author Info
George France (Istituto di Studi sui Sistemi Regionali e Federali e sulle Autonomie, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy)
Francesco Taroni
Andrea Donatini (Agenzia Sanitaria Regionale, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna, Italy)
Abstract

Italy's national health service is statutorily required to guarantee the uniform provision of comprehensive care throughout the country. However, this is complicated by the fact that, constitutionally, responsibility for healthcare is shared between the central government and the 20 regions. There are large and growing differences in regional health service organisation and provision. Public health-care expenditure has absorbed a relatively low share of gross domestic product, although in the last 25 years it has consistently exceeded central government forecasts. Changes in payment systems, particularly for hospital care, have helped to encourage organisational appropriateness and may have contributed to containing expenditure. Tax sources used to finance the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN) have become somewhat more regressive. The limited evidence on vertical equity suggests that the SSN ensures equal access to primary care but lower income groups face barriers to specialist care. The health status of Italians has improved and compares favourably with that in other countries, although regional disparities persist. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/hec.1035
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Article provided by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. in its journal Health Economics.

Volume (Year): 14 (2005)
Issue (Month): S1 ()
Pages: S187-S202
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Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:14:y:2005:i:s1:p:s187-s202

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  1. Fattore, Giovanni & Jommi, Claudio, 1998. "The new pharmaceutical policy in Italy," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 21-41, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Eddy van Doorslaer & Xander Koolman, 2004. "Explaining the differences in income-related health inequalities across European countries," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(7), pages 609-628. [Downloadable!]
  3. Ghislandi, Simone & Krulichova, Iva & Garattini, Livio, 2005. "Pharmaceutical policy in Italy: towards a structural change?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 53-63, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Vincenzo Atella & Francesco Brindisi & Partha Deb & Furio C. Rosati, 2004. "Determinants of access to physician services in Italy: a latent class seemingly unrelated probit approach," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(7), pages 657-668. [Downloadable!]
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  5. Eddy van Doorslaer & Xander Koolman & Andrew M. Jones, 2004. "Explaining income-related inequalities in doctor utilisation in Europe," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(7), pages 629-647. [Downloadable!]
  6. Siciliani, Luigi & Hurst, Jeremy, 2005. "Tackling excessive waiting times for elective surgery: a comparative analysis of policies in 12 OECD countries," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 201-215, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  1. Fabbri, D & Robone, S, 2009. "The geography of hospital admission in a National Health Service with patient choice: Evidence from Italy," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 09/16, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York. [Downloadable!]
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  2. Paula González, 2008. "Gatekeeping versus Direct-Access when Patient Information Matters," Working Papers 2008-05, FEDEA. [Downloadable!]
  3. Matteo Lippi Bruni & Lucia Nobilio & Cristina Ugolini, 2008. "The analysis of a cardiological network in a regulated setting: a spatial interaction approach," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(2), pages 221-233. [Downloadable!]
  4. Giardina, Emilio & Cavalieri, Marina & Guccio, Calogero & Mazza, Isidoro, 2009. "Federalism, Party Competition and Budget Outcome: Empirical Findings on Regional Health Expenditure in Italy," MPRA Paper 16437, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  5. G. Fiorentini & E. Iezzi & M. Lippi Bruni & C. Ugolini, 2009. "Incentives In Primary Care and Their Impact on Potentially Avoidable Hospital Admissions," Working Papers 660, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna. [Downloadable!]
  6. Kristian Bolin & Anna Lindgren & Björn Lindgren & Petter Lundborg, 2009. "Utilisation of physician services in the 50+ population: the relative importance of individual versus institutional factors in 10 European countries," International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 83-112, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Giovanni Fattore & Aleksandra Torbica, 2006. "Inpatient reimbursement system in Italy: How do tariffs relate to costs?," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 251-258, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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