Teachers and school staff: supplementary health insurance is coming this autumn

The range of welfare schemes available to teachers and school staff is being expanded. This autumn will see the launch of a new supplementary health insurance scheme for over 1.2 million teachers, ATA and educational support staff, and MIM employees. Enrolment is automatic but voluntary, and the scheme is also open to staff on fixed-term contracts with annual appointments or contracts running until the end of the academic year.

In recent months, the €320 million Consip tender for the four-year period 2026–2029 was finalised, with the contract awarded to a consortium comprising UniSalute SpA, Intesa San Paolo Protezione SpA and Poste Assicura SpA. The contract was signed in early August and has been submitted to the supervisory bodies for registration. The health insurance is scheduled to come into effect in early autumn. The four-year period of cover for staff will commence from the activation date, according to a statement from CISL Scuola, following a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Education and Merit (MIM) to outline the measure, which was initiated by the Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara.

Pending official confirmation and full details, trade union sources report that the policy will cover treatment and preventative care, with reduced rates also available for family members, ranging from so-called ‘major procedures’ (which occur infrequently) to other types of procedures that are more common. Specifically, the cover ranges from hospital admissions for major surgical procedures or serious illnesses (covering the surgeon’s fees, hospital accommodation costs, and services related to the procedure within 90 days before or after the operation itself); to childbirth (in private facilities not covered by the National Health Service): a maximum reimbursement of 2,500 euros is provided for natural childbirth and 4,000 euros for caesarean sections. Coverage also extends to dental care (including one specialist consultation and one oral hygiene appointment), situations of permanent dependency (a monthly reimbursement of €500 for healthcare and social care costs is provided for four years), right through to basic cardiovascular screening and cancer prevention tests for both women and men.

The Mim ‘welfare’ package was launched on a trial basis in October 2023 thanks to collaboration between public and private institutions. Agreements are in place in the transport and agri-food sectors. There will also be reductions in air and rail fares with ITA Airways, Trenitalia and Italo; car parking charges at Aeroporti di Roma, linked to additional benefits on food and drink at the airport and on purchases in duty-free shops and certain boarding areas; discounts on food purchases at farmers’ markets and on stays at ‘Campagna Amica’ agritourism establishments run by Coldiretti. Banking partnerships will also be in place from May 2024.