Budget Law

Doctors in revolt against the 2026 budget law: unanimous rejection and mobilisation to defend public healthcare

The jaw-dropping accusation against the MEF, which allegedly 'commissioned' the government by overturning a favourable situation with the 'no' to the economic benefits that seemed within reach in the amendment that made available the extra-contractual resources already allocated for medical management by two budget laws

by Health Review

22 December 2025

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The Budget Bill 2026 has been rejected 'without appeal' by both salaried doctors and doctors affiliated with the National Health Service, i.e. family doctors and paediatricians of free choice. In a very harsh note, they speak of a 'disaster for the National Health Service and for professionals'.

Expectations disappointed

The expectations were there, but they were totally disappointed, as explained in a collective note by the unions of doctors and health care executives Anaao Assomed, Cimo-Fesmed, Fimmg, Fimp and Sumai representing employees and contracted and health care executives. "In recent days we have witnessed a disgraceful little theatre, an internal struggle," they wrote at the end of the convulsive 'two days' of government negotiations that led to a rewrite of the manoeuvre that resulted in the usual maxi-amendment, "which overturned a situation that had hitherto been finally favourable to the category

Background on additional benefits

The night blitz on Christmas Eve," commented Pierino Di Silverio (Anaao Assomed), Guido Quici (Cimo-Fesmed), Silvestro Scotti (Fimmg), Antonio D'Avino (Fimp) and Antonio Magi (Sumai), "sank the amendment that would have made available the extra-contractual resources already allocated to the medical management by two budget laws and, above all, would have filled the repeated violation of the dignity of health care executives penalised by an unjustifiable economic gap. A health manager excluded, as well as contracted doctors, from the adjustment of additional services with which "in words but not in deeds", warn the unions - they would like to solve the problem of waiting lists.".

Index pointed at Mef

according to the unions, 'it is now clear to everyone how not only the Ministry of Health is a 'hostage' of the Mef, but even more serious, that the entire government is. And the consequences of this tug-of-war are extremely offensive for those who work daily to ensure the health of citizens'."
The note underlines how once again the 20,000 public contracted outpatient specialists of the territory, who are fundamental for taking care of chronic patients, for reducing waiting lists, and for home care as provided for by the Pnrr and the Dm77, have been 'completely forgotten. Nothing even on the General Medicine and Free Choice Paediatrics front'.

The low attractiveness for young doctors and the continuous reduction in the number of active family doctors with the consequence of having millions of Italians without a trusted doctor or paediatrician chosen by them, "does not worry the Mef," the unions attack, "and it seems that the word 'convenzionati' does not belong to the lexicon of the Budget laws, yet it would have been enough to address issues such as the detaxation of variable quotas linked to strategic objectives in our Acn, but instead, paradoxically, the convenzionati remain the most taxed of all the public health actors. Considering, that in many cases they have the cost of the factors of production, we are at the ridiculous'.

As if that were not enough,' the trade unionists continue, 'we had to avert, thanks to discussions with the ministries and parliamentarians with common sense, the cut in the redemption of university degrees, which, in addition to being unconstitutional, was a real attack on all the workers who had invested time and money hoping to be able to reach retirement in a 'human' time.

Manovra, Misiani (PD): Italia fragile dal punto di vista sociale ed economico. Paese senza direzione

Complaint: lack of vision

"Having signed the contracts earlier at least made available those resources that would otherwise have ended up in the black hole of devaluation. In defiance of those who sought to instrumentalise labour contracts. On the other hand, the amendments aimed at sanctioning the illegality of the universities perpetrating and accepting their wild invasion to the detriment of the hospitals have been spared from the meat grinder," the doctors' leaders continue. They complain: "On the whole, there is once again a lack of global vision in a world that appears increasingly focused on the management of economic, political, and financial emergencies rather than on planning measures to protect the right to health. It is increasingly evident how the concept of the welfare state has been replaced by the concept of the economic state."

"A disaster," the trade unions conclude, "devoid of logic, devoid of planning, devoid of gratitude for those who, in spite of everything, manage a health service in crisis. When in a constitutional state economic logic replaces debate and political choices, one goes straight towards a dangerous drift of disintegration of the welfare state. As intermediate bodies," is the promise, "we will continue to oppose with all our might the continuous attacks on healthcare and its professionals, always trying to propose improvements to safeguard our most precious asset, health. Let us prepare for a year of barricades in defence of the professionals, the only ones holding up the SSN'.

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