Italy’s 2027 budget plan sets out ten measures for the health sector, including increased funding for the National Health Service, support for emergency department staff and steps to reduce waiting lists. The package also includes assistance for older people with low incomes and additional funding for Alzheimer’s and dementia care.
The National Health Service fund will rise by €2.4 billion in 2027 and by €2.3 billion a year in 2028 and 2029. Including €1 billion already allocated in the 2026 budget, funding for 2027 will total €146.3 billion.
To support additional appointments and examinations, regions will receive €300 million in 2027 from the health fund. Of this, €213 million is designated for doctors and €87 million for other healthcare workers. A further €380 million a year from 2027 will go toward emergency department allowances, with €114 million for doctors and €266 million for other staff.
The plan also allocates €500 million a year from 2027 to update maximum reimbursement rates for hospital stays related to acute conditions. A separate €100 million will be provided in 2027 for care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
A €300 health card is planned for 2027 to help pensioners pay for healthcare goods and services. It will be available to people who turn 75 by the end of 2026 and whose 2025 income did not exceed €28,000. The potential eligible population is estimated at about 5.46 million people, and a dedicated €1.6 billion fund has been established.
For patients with serious illnesses, a three-year experimental scheme will allow earlier access to certain medicines. It will draw up to €70 million a year from the fund for innovative medicines. From 2028, the spending ceiling for direct purchases of medicines will increase by 0.2 percentage points to 9% of national health funding, at a stated cost of €292 million. From 2027, pharmaceutical companies that make additional investments in research and innovation in Italy will be eligible for a reduction in payback contributions to regions when spending limits are exceeded.
The government will also take responsibility for €1.4 billion of the roughly €4 billion in disputed medical-device payback charges for 2019–2023, allocating €350 million a year from 2028 to 2031. From 2027, the national spending ceiling for medical-device purchases will rise to 4.7%.
Finally, from 2027, the spending limit for purchasing healthcare services from accredited private providers will increase by three percentage points. The measure is expected to cost €365 million a year, using funds already allocated.
Sources: ANSA Politica.