Healthcare: price rises for 600 consultations and tests come into effect – patients will pay an extra 1.5 euros in co-payments

From blood tests to the first consultation with a specialist, there are more than 600 – out of over 4,100 services, it should be noted – for ‘previous’ treatments covered by the National Health Service that will increase from 21 September with the entry into force of the new Nomenclatures for specialist outpatient and prosthetic services, drawn up by the Ministry of Health and published in the Official Gazette. ‘We have long called for and supported the updating of the essential levels of care and, in parallel, of the fees. However, the impact of this measure on patient contributions was unclear and is now a cause for concern, even though it is a slight increase that will affect around 2 out of every 10 services,” emphasises Anna Lisa Mandorino, general secretary of Cittadinanzattiva

This change will mean that, in a number of cases – though only for the approximately 30 per cent of citizens who are not exempt from the co-payment – people will have to pay a little more out of their own pockets. On average, according to calculations by the Ministry of Health, this amounts to an extra €1.50 per year per user. This is because we are in the ‘LEA area’, that is, within the scope of those Essential Levels of Care that the National Health Service is required to guarantee to everyone, either free of charge or, as in this case, upon payment of a co-payment. With the adjustment of the fees, a potential increase in out-of-pocket costs for a certain group of users will automatically come into effect from today for a range of services.
For blood tests, for example, we are talking about a charge of 0.50 euros for the patient, whilst initial specialist consultations will see an increase of one euro. All things considered, the estimated average annual impact per person is 1.50 euros.

The Ministry of Health, whose guiding principle is ‘to avoid causing alarm’, points out that the tariff adjustment had been on the cards for some time – at least two years, during which accredited private providers lodged appeals with the Regional Administrative Court and secured a more lucrative price list – and that “it will not, in any case, affect those who are exempt on grounds of income, medical condition or age”. In short, the most vulnerable groups remain protected.
The maximum cap on the standard patient contribution remains unchanged at 36.15 euros and, overall, the fees for 8 out of 10 services (78 per cent) remain unchanged, including follow-up appointments.

There are no changes to the fees for any laboratory tests, except for blood tests, which will cost 50 cents more – an increase of half a euro. As mentioned, the increases for members of the public are not directly linked to the rise in fees: the Nomenclatore primarily concerns local health authorities (ASLs) and private providers contracted to the National Health Service, who are remunerated. And the just over 600 services that, according to the Nomenclature, are set to rise in price account for less than 20 per cent of the total.
As for the impact on the public, the maximum co-payment of 36.15 euros, with a cap of eight services that can be included on a single prescription, remains unchanged, as funds have been allocated specifically to ensure it is not increased. In short, in the case of a prescription for 8 services, that maximum limit will remain unchanged even if all 8 services have increased in price: the patient will still pay €36.15.