Censis: 9 million Italians in 2012 were forced to give up access to health services for economic reasons. Third age affected, 20% is over 65. Diagnostic and specialist visits are decreasing. "Don't care who needs it most"
(Adnkronos Salute) – The economic crisis empties wallets but is also bad for health. Especially that of the older ones. 20% of the 9 million Italians who, according to Censis, were forced to give up access to some health services last year for economic reasons, are in fact over 65.
Elderly people who, again due to the crisis, have also reduced the purchase of drugs paid directly out of their own pockets. This is what emerges from an updated report by Censis, illustrated by Ketty Vaccaro, welfare manager of Censis, on the sidelines of a meeting on health organized in Rome by the Public Affairs Association.
Forced to give up some benefits, especially those people with fewer resources, who live in more difficult socio-economic conditions: as much as 40% of the total 9 million. The treatments that are most often postponed due to lack of money are: diagnostic services and specialist visits.
Basically, as the Censis expert explains, "the very people who need it most have been forced to give up treatment, who are the same people who, when forced to undergo some examination, visit or treatment, have resigned themselves to long waiting lists in public or affiliated facilities, while in other times they would have resorted to private facilities, paying the service entirely out of their own pocket".
14/02/2013 17:43 
