by InTrieste
A new report by the GIMBE Foundation has highlighted disparities in private healthcare spending across Italy, revealing that 5.1% of residents in Friuli Venezia Giulia reported forgoing medical care due to economic or organizational reasons. This marks the lowest percentage in the country, a distinction shared with the autonomous province of Bolzano. By contrast, the national average stands at 7.6%, with Sardinia registering the highest rate at 13.7%.
The findings, based on four institutional datasets, also shed light on per capita out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. In Friuli Venezia Giulia, individuals spend an average of €737 annually on healthcare, slightly above the national average of €730. Lombardy leads the ranking with €1,000 per capita in private healthcare expenditures.
Over the past decade, private healthcare spending in Italy has risen substantially, increasing from €31.5 billion in 2012 to more than €40 billion in 2023, positioning the country fifth in the European Union in terms of private healthcare costs. Currently, such expenditures account for approximately 23% of total healthcare spending, which reached €176 billion last year.
Friuli Venezia Giulia’s Regional Health Councilor, Riccardo Riccardi, expressed satisfaction with the data, noting that household healthcare spending in the region remains in line with national averages. He emphasized that these figures reaffirm the strength of Italy’s public healthcare system.
However, Riccardi also raised concerns about what he described as “healthcare consumerism,” asserting that 40% of private healthcare spending is allocated to treatments he considers ineffective. He attributed this issue to cultural factors, advocating for efforts to restore public trust in healthcare institutions and to encourage more informed healthcare decisions.
The report’s findings contribute to ongoing discussions about healthcare accessibility and affordability in Italy, as policymakers grapple with balancing public and private healthcare expenditures in an evolving economic landscape.
