EHIC In Italy

Italy is one of the most popular destinations for UK visitors, and although the healthcare system is quite different to the NHS in the UK, hospitals are high quality and doctors are well trained and professional. In order to access state healthcare in Italy you have to apply for EHIC cover before leaving the UK by entering your NHS number and other details online. Many travel reps and hotel managers in Italy are unsure of how EHIC works, and will reassure customers that they can reclaim fees paid to private doctors. This is not the case, and you must ensure that you are treated by a provider which is part of the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN). If in doubt, check and show your EHIC and passport.

Finding a Doctor in Italy

During office hours, you are free to see any Italian GP who is part of the SSN system. You will not be charged for a GP appointment, but you will be asked to produce your passport and EHIC. Out of hours, you can contact the “guardia medica” or on call doctor by telephone for advice, but there is no guarantee that they will speak English. Contact details for the on call doctor are different for every town and city, and are published online and in local phone books. For minor injuries, more serious injuries and illnesses, you should go to the A&E department of the nearest hospital. Treatment in A&E is free, as long as you can show the correct paperwork. Expect to encounter the same system as in the UK where patients are triaged on arrival and treated in order of severity, so at busy times you may have a lengthy wait to be seen if your injury is not life threatening.

Fees to Access Treatment

Hospital treatment is not always free of charge and Italy has a complex system of co-pay where patients are issued with a “ticket” and have to pay a percentage of their treatment costs. Healthcare is devolved to the different regional governments who all have their own rules about what treatments and tests are included in the co-pay system, so the golden rule is always to check what you will be expected to pay when considering undergoing expensive diagnostic tests which might not be medically essential. For emergency dental treatment, you will have to go to your local hospital or first aid station. You will be expected to contribute towards dental costs, but these costs should be stated on the referral document from your GP. If you are given a prescription by your doctor, take this to any pharmacy to have it dispensed. Most prescription medication is not free, and you will be expected to pay a percentage. The pharmacy system in Italy means that there will always be one pharmacy open at any time in a town or district of a city. You will not be able to reclaim any prescription charges, or co-payments you make to access Italian healthcare.