Italy healthcare access gap widens as citizens forgo medical visits

New reports highlight a growing gap in healthcare access in Italy, revealing that economic status significantly impacts the ability to receive medical care. According to the “Sussidiarietà e salute” report by the Fondazione per la Sussidiarietà, 12% of citizens in the lowest income brackets forgo specialist visits, compared to 8% in higher income groups.

Data indicates that approximately 5.8 million people in Italy renounced medical care in 2024, with the percentage of citizens skipping prescribed diagnostic tests or visits rising from 7.6% to 9.9%.

A contradiction has emerged between institutional assessments and citizen experiences. While the Ministry of Health’s monitoring of Essential Levels of Assistance (LEA) shows that 18 out of 21 regions are now considered compliant—an increase from 13 in 2023—critics argue this metric fails to reflect reality. Nino Cartabellotta, president of Fondazione Gimbe, noted that while most regions receive passing grades, private spending and the renunciation of services are actually increasing, suggesting the current ministerial evaluation system has limited capacity to measure the actual accessibility of essential services.