The Debate Over Public and Private Healthcare in Italy
In Italy, the debate over public versus private healthcare has been ongoing for years. The country’s national health system guarantees services from both public and private structures, as long as they are accredited. This has led to a necessary coexistence, but also a fundamental debate on the stability of the system.
A recent discussion on this topic was led by One Health, a magazine directed by Giovanni Cioffi and published by The Skill Group. The discussion involved three major players in the sector: Gabriele Pelissero, president of the Sanità Futura Foundation; Nino Cartabellotta, president of the Gimbe e Foundation; and Virginio Bebber, President of Aris, the Religious Association of Social and Health Institutes.
Pelissero argues that the public-private dichotomy is the norm for a universalistic public system in Europe, and that the mixed structure allows for a partial freedom of choice for citizens, ultimately leading to improvement for all parties involved.
On the other hand, Cartabellotta believes that the accredited private sector should maintain the function of integration to the public, and that there has been uncontrolled expansion of the private sector in some regions, leading to the gradual replacement of the public sector.
Bebber, however, advocates for more space and freedom of action for non-profit healthcare, emphasizing the importance of being non-profit in the spirit of service to the suffering.
The data supports the thesis of a necessary coexistence between the public and private sectors, with the private sector providing a significant portion of healthcare services in the country.
The debate over the balance between public and private healthcare continues in Italy, but it is clear that both sides play a crucial role in the country’s healthcare system.