ITALY’S Healthcare

ITALY’S Healthcare

According to the latest United Nations population estimates, Italy’s population is 59,801,731 as of September 2016, a slight growth from the previous periods. The population is 70.5% urban with a median age of 46.3 years and containing slightly over 100,000 migrants. The projected population estimates depict a decline as shown on the graph (Worldometers, 2016).

Italy’s healthcare system has been ranked as the second best in the world just behind France’s by the latest World Health Organization statistics, guaranteeing a life expectancy of up to around 82 years across Italy at birth. The health care system is almost wholly managed publicly through the Ministry of health but managed regionally. The Italian Health Care service the SSN (Servicio Senitario Nazionale) was developed in 1978 to replace the earlier crippled social health insurance. Healthcare is considered a right to everyone in Italy, supported by public-private system to provide free healthcare or small co-pay depending on the seriousness of the condition and the patient’s level of income.

Public hospitals provide health care services under the SSN managed by the Ministry of Health and controlled regionally, with the support of some registered conventional private hospitals under the same system (Pilsworth, 2014). Family doctors providing services under a five days weekly visits schedule to at least 1,500 patients are entirely paid and supported by the SSN to provide free and subsidized healthcare to address the challenge of overcrowding. Local drug dispensers are available to provide doctor-prescribed medication at a subsidized fee (UnderstandingItaly, 2016). Challenges of the system including overcrowding, the continually aging population and a declining workforce have led to research and development efforts to improve the system. Challenges of overcrowding and longer scheduling dates for patients in the public system have led to support structures like patient’s choice of care provider through a “free market system” that has been established where patients able and willing may pay for provision of healthcare under short notice in a different system. The support for family doctors also works to counter the challenges. Regional disparity in health care provision between the North and the South is also welcoming developments across the region with the aging population that may require more care thus expected increase in cost of health care. Increased immigration may be used to address the shrinking workforce to support the system through taxation income.

References,

Worldometers. (2016).Italy Population (LIVE). Retrieved on 19^th September 2016 from,

www.worldometer.info/world-population/italy-population/

UnderstandingItaly.(2016).health care in Italy. Retrieved on 19^th September 2016 from,

www.understandingitaly.com/profile-content/health.html

Pilsworth, C. (2014). Healthcare in early medieval Northern Italy:more life than leeches?.Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols

ITALY’S Healthcare

According to the latest United Nations population estimates, Italy’s population is 59,801,731 as of September 2016, a slight growth from the previous periods. The population is 70.5% urban with a median age of 46.3 years and containing slightly over 100,000 migrants. The projected population estimates depict a decline as shown on the graph (Worldometers, 2016).

Italy’s healthcare system has been ranked as the second best in the world just behind France’s by the latest World Health Organization statistics, guaranteeing a life expectancy of up to around 82 years across Italy at birth. The health care system is almost wholly managed publicly through the Ministry of health but managed regionally. The Italian Health Care service the SSN (Servicio Senitario Nazionale) was developed in 1978 to replace the earlier crippled social health insurance. Healthcare is considered a right to everyone in Italy, supported by public-private system to provide free healthcare or small co-pay depending on the seriousness of the condition and the patient’s level of income.

Public hospitals provide health care services under the SSN managed by the Ministry of Health and controlled regionally, with the support of some registered conventional private hospitals under the same system (Pilsworth, 2014). Family doctors providing services under a five days weekly visits schedule to at least 1,500 patients are entirely paid and supported by the SSN to provide free and subsidized healthcare to address the challenge of overcrowding. Local drug dispensers are available to provide doctor-prescribed medication at a subsidized fee (UnderstandingItaly, 2016). Challenges of the system including overcrowding, the continually aging population and a declining workforce have led to research and development efforts to improve the system. Challenges of overcrowding and longer scheduling dates for patients in the public system have led to support structures like patient’s choice of care provider through a “free market system” that has been established where patients able and willing may pay for provision of healthcare under short notice in a different system. The support for family doctors also works to counter the challenges. Regional disparity in health care provision between the North and the South is also welcoming developments across the region with the aging population that may require more care thus expected increase in cost of health care. Increased immigration may be used to address the shrinking workforce to support the system through taxation income.

References,

Worldometers. (2016).Italy Population (LIVE). Retrieved on 19^th September 2016 from,

www.worldometer.info/world-population/italy-population/

UnderstandingItaly.(2016).health care in Italy. Retrieved on 19^th September 2016 from,

www.understandingitaly.com/profile-content/health.html

Pilsworth, C. (2014). Healthcare in early medieval Northern Italy:more life than leeches?.Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols