15 January 2026
Public and Private Healthcare

Some argue that the state should only reimburse medical expenses but that these should be private.

In reality, in Italy, general practitioners, medications, and pharmacies operate under a private system. Tests, treatments, and even surgeries can be carried out in public or private accredited facilities at the patient’s choice: it is the patients who decide which they consider more reliable. If I need an appendectomy, I choose a private accredited facility, but for a malignant tumor, the public system is preferred as it offers more guarantees in terms of resources and expertise.

So it is a matter of the patient choosing between private and public. Obviously, however, private providers must accept the established rates; otherwise, it becomes a free market.