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An expat’s introduction to Italian healthcare

Bravo on taking the plunge and deciding to move to Italy! With its romantic landscapes, world-renowned cuisine, and more than two millennia of culture, you have a real adventure ahead of you.

An expat’s introduction to Italian healthcare
Photo: michaeljung/Depositphotos

Something that shouldn’t be an adventure is figuring out the Italian healthcare system. You have enough on your plate (and we don’t mean spaghetti) without worrying what to do if that frutti di mare tasted off.

Luckily, Italy has one of the best healthcare systems in the world so if the unexpected does happen you’re in good hands.

You’ll be pleased to hear that the country has a regionally organised National Health Service (SSN Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) that provides citizens with free or low-cost healthcare. It’s funded through national income taxes and regional VAT, and generally the standard of care is very high.

And the buone notizie is that foreign citizens living in Italy with a regular stay permit are entitled to all the same treatment and rights as Italian citizens.

But first, you will have to register with the SSN in your district of residence. Just head along to your local health authority (ASL Azienda Sanitaria Locale) with a valid ID document, your tax code, a letter from your employer detailing your employment start date and INPS declaration, and your residence permit.

Once you’re registered, you’ll be issued with a national health number and a health card, which you will have to show when you visit your doctor or another healthcare provider.

Although public healthcare is free, many expats prefer to take out private healthcare insurance like the packages offered by Cigna Global. Knowing that you can avoid the queues for public healthcare, freely choose your own private doctor or specialist, and receive treatment at private hospitals, can give you peace of mind throughout the relocation.

Find out more about Cigna Global international health insurance

Finding a doctor

There are many medici (doctors) in Italy, the only obstacle you may come up against is finding one who speaks English in certain regions.

A good place to start is by calling your embassy or checking on their website, often they maintain a list of English-speaking doctors and specialists. General practitioners can also be found by looking under Medici Generici in the yellow pages.

It’s up to you to decide on the doctor you wish to register with. Often family doctors practice in group surgeries, known in Italian as poliambulatori, and offer a range of treatments including minor surgeries, gynaecology, and psychotherapy.

Surgery hours vary but most practices are open from Monday to Friday. Appointments are on a first-come, first-served basis, so there’s no need to call ahead and make an appointment, just make sure to take along your health card. The doctor should be your first port of call if you think you require a ricetta (prescription) or impegnativa (referral) to a specialist.

Emergency care

Healthcare in Italy is seen as a right, and emergency care is available without charge to everyone regardless of whether or not they have state health insurance. If you need urgent medical care you should visit the pronto soccorso (emergency room) at your nearest ospedale (hospital). It’s open around the clock all year round.

Note that you will be seen based on the severity of your symptoms, so if the reception staff don’t consider your condition urgent then you may end up waiting several hours.

If you’re unable to get to the emergency room yourself, then you should dial 118 and ask for an ambulance (ambulanza). The telephone emergency service is available 24/24 hours, and should only be used in case of an emergency requiring immediate intervention.

Specialist care

The SSN provides access to specialist care which is delivered through public hospitals. Unless you have an exemption, you will have to co-pay a small fee for specialist examinations.

GPs have a gatekeeping role and are responsible for referring you to a specialist, so they should be your first port of call if you think you need a specialist examination. Once you’ve seen your GP, you can make an appointment by showing your referral and healthcare card at the reception of the hospital or clinic where you wish to have an examination.

Pharmacies

For both over-the-counter and prescription medication you should visit your nearest farmacia (pharmacy), easily recognised by the large green cross sign. They are generally open from 8.30am to 7.30pm with a long lunch break — often up to three hours. Each town has an emergency chemist, some of which are open 24 hours a day.

Medicines considered “life-savers” may be free, or you may be required to pay a small co-payment. If you are registered with the SSN, you need to make a co-payment for prescription medicines like antibiotics, insulin, hormone treatments, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Your local ASL can advise you on the regional cost of co-payments for prescription medicine.

You always have to pay full price for over-the-counter medicines like paracetamol and vitamins.

Insurance

The SSN is a wonderful benefit of living in Italy, although as an expat you might feel more confident about the relocation if you take out private insurance coverage.

Knowing that you and your family are protected and can get speedy and affordable access to private healthcare can make you feel more secure in a new country. This is especially true if you don’t speak the language, as a private healthcare provider can also ensure you can quickly find the nearest English-speaking doctor or specialist.

Cigna Global offers healthcare packages that have been created specifically for expats. Find the option that suits your situation, and let Cigna take care of your health so you can enjoy the finer parts of Italian life.

Click here to get a free quote from Cigna Global

This article was produced by The Local Client Studio and sponsored by Cigna Global.

EASTER

‘No Friday off and food galore’: What to expect from your first Italian Easter

If you're spending your first Easter in Italy this year, how might it differ from your home country? The Local’s readers tell us about their first Pasqua in Italy and the things they found most surprising.

'No Friday off and food galore': What to expect from your first Italian Easter

For many Easter-celebrating people around the globe, this is a time to be with family, eat lots of chocolate, and maybe participate in a church service or two. But of course, traditions in each country are different.

After living in Italy for a while you might get used to seeing a certain dove-shaped cake (la colomba), the lack of a certain Easter figure (the Easter Bunny) and eating fish instead of meat on Good Friday.

But the first Pasqua (Easter Sunday) and Pasquetta (Easter Monday) you spend in the country will always come with its surprises.

No day off on Good Friday

Like many people who move to Italy, Robbie Sossi told us he was “absolutely astonished” to find that Good Friday was not a public holiday.

“We sent Easter cards to everyone, only to be met with quizzical looks when we next saw them. Families try to outdo each other in the chocolate Easter egg stakes too. I had a chocolate overdose headache for a week afterwards.”

One reader, Karen Short, said: “I too was surprised Good Friday wasn’t a public holiday.”

READ MORE: Why is Good Friday not a holiday in Italy

Abruzzo-based Stephanie Elms agreed and said: “Good Friday was a bit of a surprise for me because I know Europe has a few more holidays than where I’m from in the States, so I assumed it would be a holiday, but it isn’t.”

“It would have been nice to get an extra day like they have in the UK, but I’m not complaining. I get to celebrate Easter in a beautiful country and that’s enough for me.”

Freezing cold and rainy weather 

When thinking of Mediterranean weather, sunshine and warmth is normally the first thing anyone would expect. But many people arriving in Italy for the first time are caught out by the unexpected cold.

Veneto-based artist Linda Winter said that, when she first arrived in Venice 18 years ago, she had a bit of a shock.

“The air was still chilly with the damp from the lagoon as I stepped onto the platform at Santa Lucia. Never having visited before I had imagined the fashion police would stop me from entering if I was anything less than elegant.

“The reality was that all the Italians were still wearing a heavy coat and at least two scarves. I froze.”

She advised anyone coming to Italy for Easter to wear a coat and wrap up warm. 

“Early Easters are by their nature cold, even though as I write this sunshine is pouring through my open door. Now I hang onto my coat.”

Easter eggs in a workshop.Photo by Fred TANNEAU / AFP.

Food galore

Food is of course a huge part of the celebrations in Italy. As in many countries, roast lamb is usually the meat of choice for an Easter Sunday lunch – but not everyone enjoys it.

Lazio resident Zoe Joanne Green said she finds the tradition of eating lamb “brutal”, adding: “I’ll spend Easter trying to distract myself so that I don’t get annoyed.”

Valeria La Capria said torta pasqualina instead is one Italian veggie option not to be missed.

“I’m also vegetarian, there are some great traditional dishes such as the torta di pasqua, made from spinach, ricotta and filo pastry.”

The tart is typical in the Liguria region of the country and traditionally had 33 layers of pastry, one for each year Christ was on earth. 

READ MORE: Nine lesser-visited Italian villages to see over Easter

Tuscany resident Andrew Green said la colomba, a dove-shaped cake, is different from anything back home. 

“For starters it’s a lot bigger and less sweet than what we usually eat in the UK,” he said. You can find them in pretty much every supermarket you go to.

“Back home we only really have hot cross buns and Easter cakes that are full of chocolate. There aren’t really any chocolate cakes here for Easter, but there is chocolate. Anyway, I prefer colomba instead and it was a nice surprise when I first ate it.”

Different regional events

That’s not the only thing Andrew prefers either. He said he loves the different events each Italian region has to offer. 

“I stayed in Florence during my first year and there was a huge parade which was really cool. Obviously I knew nothing about it at first.”

The parade Andrew referred to is the Scoppio del Carro (Explosion of the Cart); a centuries old tradition where an old wagon is filled with fireworks and set alight outside of Florence’s Santa Maria del Fiore on Easter Sunday.

“The atmosphere of the whole city was alive and there was a huge buzz to the place. It was stunning,” Andrew adds.

Abruzzo-based Heather May also enjoys the events different regions have to offer, and said the nearby Madonna che scappa (the Virgin Mary who runs away) in a town named Sulmona was her personal favourite.

“It was nothing like I’d ever experienced before,” she writes. “It’s like a pantomime – one of the saints knocks on the door of a church at one end of the piazza, to tell the Madonna that her son is alive, she begins to march across the piazza (held aloft by holy men clad in green and white).

“After a swaying march of some minutes, she spots Christ at the other end of the piazza and the men break into a run – it’s quite a feat of athleticism! Doves are released, her black cloak drops to reveal a white dress and Handel’s hallelujah chorus plays as she encounters her son. It’s quite exhilarating even for protestants like myself.

Wherever you’ll be celebrating, Easter is bound to be special, but we hope these tips and anecdotes are useful to anyone spending their first Easter in Italy this year. Buona Pasqua.

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