On an experimental basis from 1 January 2026 to 31 January 2029, the regions will be able to increase the remuneration in the form of bonuses and allowances for emergency room staff by up to 1%, in compliance with the law on waiting lists (207/2024)
Budget Law, Art. 1 c. 366
First Aid
Pending an organic regulation on compulsory training in first aid techniques, a fund of 100,000 euros has been set up in the MIM budget for 2026 and 2027 to finance experimental courses for secondary school students and teachers of motor sciences in secondary schools
Budget Law, Art.1 c. 368
Psychologist bonus
From 2026, the management and payment of the 'psychologist bonus' will pass to the Inps, with funding of 200,000 euro a year: it will be used to adapt the IT platform, simplify the procedures for accessing the bonus, and strengthen user support activities
Budget Law, Art. 1 c. 373-375
Celiachia
From 2026 coeliac persons will be able to use an electronic voucher managed by the Sistema Tessera Sanitaria and valid throughout the country that can be used at pharmacies, parapharmacies, specialised shops and supermarkets to purchase gluten-free products. By March 2026, a Ministry of Health decree will define the criteria for generating and using the voucher and for tracking the remaining budget. 2 mln for 2026 and 1 mln from 2027 will be allocated to this measure from the resources earmarked for priority health objectives.
Budget Law, Art. 1 c. 381-385
Pharmaceuticals
The Italian Medicines Agency (Aifa) is required to update the handbook of medicines reimbursed by the SSN on an annual basis: review by November and effectiveness from the following January. The pharmaceutical expenditure ceilings are also revised (+0.35%): direct (hospital) expenditure rises to 8.8% (+0.3%) and contracted expenditure to 6.85% (+0.05%). The burden is 490 million per year, covered for 350 million by the increase in the National Health Fund and 140 million by the reduction in the Innovative Medicines Fund, which drops from 1.3 billion to 1.16 billion. The payback mechanism has also been revised: the application of the 1.83% relative to the quotas owed by pharmaceutical companies to the Regions is excluded for a value of €166 million in 2026. From 2026, the option for pharmaceutical companies to avail themselves of the suspension of the 5% 'discount' of the price to the public of medicines used or dispensed by the SSN will be discontinued. Green light to purchasing procedures with Framework Agreement also for non-biologic generic-equivalent drugs.
Budget Law, Art. 1 c. 376-380, 386-389 and 396
Medical devices
The national ceiling for expenditure on medical devices increases from 4.4% to 4.6% (+0.2%) for a total burden of 280 million from the increase in the National Healthcare Fund. A crackdown on the assessment and collection by the Ministry of Health of 0.75% of the turnover for sales to the SSN by medical device suppliers, but companies with a turnover of less than €50,000 are excluded.
Budget Law, Art. 1 c. 399 and 413-417
Purchases from private individuals-accredited
From 2026 onwards, the ceiling on the purchase of healthcare services from accredited private facilities increases further (+1%), at a cost of EUR 123 million per year from the increase in the level of financing of the National Healthcare Fund.
Budget Law, Art. 1 c. 400-401
Hospitals of excellence
In 2026, with 20 million euro to be allocated through a Health-Mef decree and subject to a State-Regions agreement, the experimentation of a clinical-organisational innovation project in the 'top' hospitals of the SSN will start: Institutes of hospitalisation and care of a scientific nature (IRCCS) and hospitals of national importance and high specialisation.
Budget Law, Art. 1 c. 402-404
Italy-EU health data exchange
In order to set up the digital infrastructures to enable the cross-border exchange of electronic medical prescriptions, reports and documents through the Sistema Tessera Sanitaria managed by the MEF, expenditure of approximately EUR 985,222 is authorised for 2026 and EUR 793,000 from 2027.
Budget Law, Art. 1 c. 405-406
Telemedicine
In 2026, the Agency for Regional Health Services (Agenas) is to receive EUR 20 million to be used for the expansion of telemedicine, including the provision of medical devices for patient monitoring to healthcare professionals. A decree of the Ministry of Health will identify the devices and healthcare professionals concerned by June 2026, as well as the allocation modalities.
Budget Law, Art. 1 c. 410-412
Performance and Audit
The system of performance indicators of the national health services envisaged by the 2025 manoeuvre (yet to be identified by decree) is to be supplemented by a permanent monitoring of the balance between the levels and variations of NHS funding and the evolution of the levels of services provided. In addition, the Standing Committee for the Verification of the Essential Levels of Care (Lea) will launch an audit in those Regions that do not reach the minimum guarantee threshold in one or more of the macro areas (prevention, hospital, district) Lea or for individual indicators of the New Guarantee System. The objective is to bring the non-compliant regions to 'sufficiency' in the following two years.
Budget Law, Art. 1 c. 425-426
Health professions 'in derogation'
Prolonged until 31 December 2029 the temporary derogation from the recognition of health professional qualifications obtained abroad, a measure introduced during the pandemic.
Budget Law, Art. 1 para. 939
Simplifications Act
Sickness certificates with televisita
The family doctor will also be able to issue the illness certificate following a telecertification, which is thus equated with an in-person visit. It will be a State-Regions Agreement on the proposal of the Ministry of Health that will define the cases and modalities for the use of telecertification.
Simplifications, Art. 58
Chronics, prescriptions for 12 months
Family doctors will be able to prescribe drugs for chronic illnesses for up to 12 months, thus reducing the need to repeat prescriptions. A Ministry of Health-Mef decree will define by 18 March 2026 (90 days from the entry into force of law 182/2025) the modalities for implementing the rule, which must not entail additional costs for public finance. Prescribed drugs can also be obtained with hospital discharge documentation or emergency room reports without waiting for a second prescription from the family doctor.
Simplifications, Art. 62
Milleproroghe
Non-self-sufficiency
Postponed to September 2026 the choice of the priority criteria for access to the PUAs (Single Points of Access), the composition and the methods of financing the unified multidimensional assessment units for the ascertainment of non-self-sufficiency and for the definition of the Individualised Assistance Plan (Pai). Consequently, the start-up of the experimentation of the unified multidimensional assessment, which is a fundamental element of the non-self-sufficiency reform, is extended by one year: it will start in January 2027 and be fully implemented in January 2028.
Milleproroghe, Art. 4 para. 1
Penal Shield remains
The 'criminal shield' is extended to 31 December 2026: the criminal liability of health professionals in situations of staff shortages is limited to cases of gross negligence for the offences of manslaughter and culpable personal injury.
Milleproroghe, Art. 4 paragraph 3
Free profession confirmed
Extended by one year to 31 December 2026, the suspension of the exclusivity restriction for SSN operators, who will therefore also be able to engage in freelance work subject to authorisation by the local health authority and compliance with specific requirements.
Milleproroghe, Art. 4 para. 8
Specialists in the field
The recruitment of young doctors in various capacities is extended by one year to 31 December 2026: in particular, in order to strengthen the regional health services and to recover waiting lists, trainees will be able to receive six-month self-employment assignments. It is also confirmed that fixed-term recruitment can start as early as the penultimate year of specialisation. Qualified medical graduates will be able to continue in blood and blood component collection.
Milleproroghe, Art. 4 paragraphs 3 and 9
First Aid
Extended to 31 December 2026 the simplified requirements for participation in competitions for medical management in Emergency-Urgency Medicine, also open to those who between January 2013 and January 2024 have accrued at least 3 years of service, even if not continuous, or have a number of hours of activity equal to at least 3 years of service of SSN physicians. In addition, the possibility of requesting part-time work for Ps personnel who can take early retirement is extended to the same date
Milleproroghe, Art. 4 paragraphs 6-7
