The effects of the economic crisis are also being felt on the health of Italians. Almost 1 out of 5 (18%), in one year, gave up one or more health services for economic reasons, especially specialist visits and dental care, but not only. With notable differences between citizens. The figure, in fact, rises to around 21% among residents in the central regions, 23.5% in the South, 24.2% among the 45-64 year olds, 27.2% in the big cities, 31% among the less educated. Furthermore, more and more people prefer to use the public service, even with long waiting lists. These are some previews of the results of the Monitor of the Forum for biomedical research and of Censis - which every year photographs the relationship of Italians with health and the National Health Service - and which will be presented in the coming months. The figures therefore indicate that the use of a strategy of postponing less urgent healthcare services has increased. Almost 21% of those interviewed also reduced the purchase of medicines paid for out of pocket: more than 23% of 45-64 year olds, 23.4% in the South, 28% of residents in large cities, almost 29% of the less educated. This is the so-called co-payment, the best-known form of cost-sharing, a much-discussed instrument since, in the opinion of many experts, it could become a barrier to accessing services, especially for low-income people. An aspect that would seem to be confirmed by the Censis Report, according to which "the effects of the economic crisis and the systematic and widespread effort to rationalize public health expenditure are intertwined, causing the first and most significant impact precisely on families who place themselves at the lowest socio-economic level". But how is the ticket system organized in Italy? This was explained in a recent speech by the Health & Rights Observatory of the Citizen Defense Movement (Mdc), which produced the "Health cages" dossier to take stock of this situation.
To take a loanable medicine from the pharmacy, the rules can be very different both in terms of prescribing limits and as regards the payment of the co-payment. And if in 9 Regions they are not foreseen, Lazio leads the ranking of Regions in which the non-exempt citizen pays the most: 4 euros for drugs that cost more than 5 euros and 2.50 euros for those that have a price lower than 5 euros. Furthermore, if in Valle d'Aosta, the Province of Trento, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Basilicata and Sardinia there is no payment for medicines to be paid by the patient, citizens who do not benefit from particular exemptions and who live in Sicily, Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Veneto and Puglia, must bear the cost of the ticket of 2 euros for each package, regardless of the price of the medicine. Followed by Abruzzo, which charges non-exempt 2 euros per package but if the price of the drug is less than 5 euros, the co-payment drops to 0.50 euros;
